Climate Action Plan — Measuring Progress

METRIC 16

Protected open space

Percent increase in protected open space, which includes agricultural land, natural areas, public parks, state game lands, open space owned by homeowners' associations, and other permanently protected lands.

Open space maintained as healthy farmland and well-managed grasslands and woodlands store and sequester carbon, offsetting greenhouse gas emissions elsewhere.

Protected open space (acres)

This metric coordinates with Landscape3 metric 1.

Data Source: Chester County Planning Commission Protected Open Space Tracking (POST).

METRIC 17

Protected Farmland

Percent increase in protected farmland.

Thoughtfully stewarded agricultural soils have significant capacity for carbon storage. Maintaining land as farmland rather than developing it maintains the opportunity for this carbon storage.

Protected farmland (acres)

This metric coordinates with Landscape3 metric 3.

Data Source: Chester County Planning Commission Protected Open Space Tracking (POST).

METRIC 18

Protected woodlands

Percent increase in protected woodlands.

Woodlands are important for storing and sequestering carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. Growing trees take in atmospheric carbon, sequestering it in their new growth. Trees in climax forests store carbon in their biomass, and return much of it to the soil when they die and decay.

Tree cover (acres) within protected land (excluding agricultural conservation easements preserved through the ALPB)

Data Source: Chester County Planning Commission Protected Open Space Tracking (POST).

METRIC 19

Tree cover

Net change in tree canopy coverage county-wide.

Growing trees sequester carbon in their new growth. This growth, as well as new tree plantings, are captured in this metric.

Tree cover

Data source: Chesapeake Conservancy Land Cover (updated every 5 years)