Sustainability and Energy Action Plan

NATURAL SYSTEMS GRANTS PASS SUSTAINABILITY AND ENERGY ACTION PLAN Natural Systems Natural systems , particularly the trees making up the Grants Pass urban forest, are major contributors to City sustainability through the provision of ecosystem services , like carbon sequestration and temperature regulation through shading. Supporting and improving these natural systems can improve sequestration rates and increase the amount of shading available, which will reduce net greenhouse gases, improve quality of life, and save the City and citizens money. Increased sequestration, coupled with greater cooling effects and additional ecosystem resources that improve community resilience in the face of natural hazards, have a net positive impact on the quality of life in Grants Pass . In order to meet overall Plan goals, the goals for the Natural Systems section are to 1) save money through bolstered ecosystem services ;2) improve natural systems to create a more resilient climate as extreme weather events (particularly extreme heat) increase in frequency and severity ; 3) contribute to hitting the target of net -zero GHG emissions by lowering the requirements for reductions ; 4) incorporate sustainability considerations into the urban forestry management planning decisions ; and 5) establish a dialogue between a standing sustainability committee and the existing Urban Tree Advisory Committee regarding the relationship between the urban tree canopy and sustainability goal achievement. Additional (albeit modest) contributions to these goals and more can be found in the achievement of broader sustainability through a sustainable ecosystem management plan. Some strategies involved in such a plan can be found in Appendix XIV. Projects in this section target increased sequestration from the City-owned tree canopy of Grants Pass in order to offset emissions, and thereby ultimately achieve Plan goals as well as improve the quality of life in Grants Pass. Carbon Sequestration refers to trees and other plants' removal of CO2 from the atmosphere. Ecosystem Services refers to the benefits provided by the natural ecosystem, including cooling effects, flood and erosion controls, air purification, and carbon sequestration. 74