New land use priorities are essential to meeting NYS’ climate goals, as well as to capture the economic opportunities of regenerative agriculture and a strengthened food and forest economy. The Scoping Plan supports a robust vision of climate resilient agriculture, strengthened local food systems and an increase in regenerative practices, those that improve soil health and draw down carbon from the atmosphere. 

It also calls for a vigorous forest-based economy, and expanded local land use planning options and responsibilities. Agriculture and forestry are two of the few sectors of the economy that have the potential to be net-negative emitters of greenhouse gases. This puts farmers, foresters and other landowners at the forefront of climate crisis solutions. These strategies promote climate resilience and promote many co-benefits, including water quality, reduced erosion and biodiversity.  In our regional work, we have explored opportunities in agriculture, forestry and land use, as the State’s planning has done.  Because water systems are so heavily impacted by climate change and so critical to human and environmental well-being, we have added a discussion on water as a critical leverage point that must be managed in more systematic and sophisticated ways.