Imagine Sonoma County

The first visioning session closed on Earth Day, April 22, 2021. You are still welcome to add more comments. Edits to the vision are underway and will be followed by another visioning period.

Use the "like/dislike" buttons to express approval or disapproval of each vision element.
Read other peoples' comments (Click "Discuss.") Give thumbs up to comments you agree with.
Click "Discuss" and use the comment feature to make specific suggestions for improvements to the vision. Please be as specific as you can. Please be respectful of others.

Why do we care about farms & forests?

This section includes both natural systems and working lands, both of which can suck carbon out of the atmosphere. Until recently, few of us concerned ourselves with the health of our soils, the source of most of our food. Because of its critical role in the cycling of atmospheric carbon, soil can be either a contributor to the heating of the planet or an integral part of the solution.

Trees, shrubs, and grasses move carbon from the atmosphere into the soil. Past land use practices, including deforestation and industrial agricultural practices, are responsible for a significant percentage of the excess CO2 in the Earth's atmosphere.

The bundle of practices usually referred to as carbon farming or regenerative agriculture has the potential to sequester (or draw down) large amounts of atmospheric carbon and store it in the form of soil carbon. Doing so results in increased soil quality, productivity, and water storage capacity, and a decreased reliance on irrigation and synthetic chemicals.

This bundle of practices has application on private and public rangelands and grasslands, city and county parks, urban streetscapes, and private yards and gardens.


		Carbon farming techniques utilized on all of our agricultural lands and at all of our city/county parks. (Carbon farming practices include no-till, composting, windbreaks, managed grazing, creek restoration, and many others.)	DISCUSS

		A diverse agricultural landscape that includes a wide variety of crops.	DISCUSS

		Thriving local food farms that provide the majority of our food, while sequestering carbon, providing living wage jobs, and ensuring that economically disadvantaged areas, communities of color, and climate impacted communities have access to healthy food.	DISCUSS

		Easy access to nutrient-dense compost. This may include local composting sites whereby residents can easily dispose of their yard waste and have easy access to nutrient-dense compost.	DISCUSS

		A wonderful diversity of neighborhood/community gardens that empower communities to become more self-sufficient, give them access to healthy food, and provide space for community participation. Some may be in spaces reclaimed from pavement.	DISCUSS

		Edible landscaping of all kinds throughout our urban areas.	DISCUSS

		Drought-tolerant native landscaping throughout the county.	DISCUSS

		A network of parks and open spaces accessible to all (without the use of a car.) An expansive area of protected wild and working lands will surround our towns and cities, providing valuable wildlife habitat, ecosystems services, and opportunities for people to immerse in nature.	DISCUSS

		Tree planting on a massive scale. Street trees, trees around buildings, afforested grazing land, etc. Tree species will be selected for drought tolerance (native species strongly preferred), fire-resistance, plant community, location, etc.	DISCUSS

		Wild lands fuel management that uses traditional techniques such as grazing, prescribed burns, and fuel removal to minimize catastrophic fire risk.	DISCUSS

		Closed-loop systems that utilize waste products as fertilizer or fuel. This will include large and small scale composting operations, methane digesters on ranches to convert manure to biogas that produces electricity, and methane capture at local landfills to collect methane and produce electricity.	DISCUSS

Next: Buildings & Energy

What are we missing? What is YOUR vision?

You can suggest new vision items by submitting a comment using the form below. Other people will be able to vote for your idea and/or comment with suggested edits or questions. You are also welcome to email us your vision in whatever form you prefer (writing, drawing, poem, video, story, etc.)

Have you reviewed all 6 vision pages below?

Vision Policy Sketches