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Climate Action Through Conservation

We are conducting a multi-level GIS analysis of carbon sequestration potential for major landscapes in Colorado. Our project focuses on identifying Colorado’s 3-5 best opportunities for sequestration, as well as the top land management practices and policies that promote sequestration. We will be using  as a guideline methodologically, and expect to draw data from public sources such as the LANDFIRE data set used in the Sonoma County study. For the policy analysis portion, we will be analyzing case studies and conducting interviews with Colorado decisionmakers about opportunities to promote carbon sequestration practices and policies.

The resulting analysis will include: a comparison of Colorado’s carbon storage with global values, models of carbon gain and loss under different management scenarios, an assessment of policy relationships with land management practices, and policy recommendations for improving sequestration efforts in Colorado. Ultimately, we aim to complete a whitepaper for our advisors at TNC Colorado, as well as publish a peer-reviewed journal article of our findings. Our research will have value in informing The Nature Conservancy and policymakers in Colorado about preferred conservation actions for mitigating climate change.