Global climate change is one of the most important issues of our generation.  Its far reaching effects will impact what our region for generations to come.  By conserving 1.3 million acres of farm and forest land in our region, The Cascade Agenda is helping to address global warming. 

Conserving Great Places

By conserving 1.3 million acres of farm and forest land, The Cascade Agenda is helping to decrease the amount of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. 

Increasing Carbon Sequestration

Our forests provide valuable services that help reduce the effects of climate change.  Trees take carbon dioxide out of the air, use photosynthesis to break it down, release the oxygen, and use the carbon to build their wood.  This storage of carbon in biomass is known as carbon sequestration.  By keeping the land in forests that otherwise would have been cleared, The Cascade Agenda is avoiding release of carbon dioxide now stored in forests.  By promoting forest management that includes growing trees to larger sizes and keeps a more continuous forest cover, The Cascade Agenda increases the amount of carbon stored in forests.  This carbon sequestration both reduces the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and provides homes for valuable wildlife.

Urban parks are also valuable for carbon sequestration.  By promoting programs that restore our park lands and maintain urban forest cover, such as in the Green Cities Partnerships, The Cascade Agenda is helping to avoid loss of carbon in forest trees as well as increase the amount of carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere by new trees.  Park land acquisition programs also increase this valuable forest land function within our city limits.

Creating Great Communities

The Cascade Agenda sees conservation and communities as two sides of the same coin.  We must create vibrant, livable communities that act as a strong magnet for growth.  Communities where people can work and play within walking distance of where they live, and send their children to quality, safe schools.  The Cascade Agenda advocates for smart community planning that will fundamentally change the way people live in our region.  This change will have several significant impacts on greenhouse gas emissions:

Reducing emissions from transportation and energy use

The cars we drive every day are the single greatest emitters of greenhouse gasses in Washington State, accounting for 47% of all emissions in 2005 according to Washington’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory.  Every 100 gallons of gas burned causes emission of about a ton of carbon dioxide.  By encouraging higher density housing, better transportation networks and more livable communities, we can dramatically reduce vehicle miles traveled and the resulting emission of greenhouse gases. 

Compact development is efficient development. 

Well planned urban communities require less infrastructure, for example roads and sewer systems.  Less infrastructure means less energy used in construction and use.  Efficient building design also cuts down on electricity used for heating and air conditioning, reducing the emissions from our homes and places of business. 

The Cascade Agenda Cities Program

The Cascade Agenda Cities Program is helping cities to plan for the significant growth expected in this region over the next 100 years.  By working together, we can create fantastic places to live that also reduce our carbon emissions and use resources more responsibly.

Cascade Land Conservancy is proud to be a part of the effort to reduce impacts on global climate change.  By realizing the goals of The Cascade Agenda, we will ensure that the things we love about our region, such as biodiversity, clean air and water and working farms and forests, will be abundant for the next 100 years and beyond.