Introduction
Natural Climate Solutions, also called Nature-Based Solutions, are actions that reduce emissions and increase carbon storage in forests, farms, grasslands and wetlands, while providing a host of additional benefits for people and the environment.
Practices that could be included are actions like encouraging farming techniques that retain carbon in the soil, such as planting cover crops; conserving and replanting forests; conserving and restoring coastal wetlands; and reducing the loss of natural areas, planting trees, and providing parks in communities.
Not only do these efforts help address climate change – they can improve water quality, prevent natural disasters like wildfire, drought, and flooding, protect wildlife habitat, and provide opportunities for hiking and fishing. Best of all, these solutions are cost effective, and can often improve local economies.
Below you can explore how people in Oregon are benefiting from implementing nature-based solutions in their community through a diverse set of resources from USN4C members and others, including blog articles, videos, comprehensive reports, and more.
Blog Articles
Photo Credit: Andrew Studer / American Forests
American Forests Magazine Article: Growing Back Together
Photo by Oregon ShoreZone for Pew
Pew Charitable Trusts Article: New Tool Identifies Carbon Hotspots in Oregon’s Largest Estuary
Photo by Pacific Forest Trust
U.S. Nature4Climate/Land Trust Alliance Article: Showing the Way: Managing the World’s Most Biodiverse Conifer Forests for Climate Resilience
- Land Trust Alliance Article: This Federal Program is Funding Land Trust Conservation Efforts Across the Country
- U.S. Nature4Climate Article: Why Greenhouse Gas Inventories Are Important for Natural and Working Lands — and How to Fix Them
Forests:
- American Forests Resource: South Central Oregon Integrated Post-Fire Resilience Strategy
- American Forests Magazine Article: Trees on the Move: Assisted Migration Could Help Forests Keep Pace with Climate Change
- Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership Nature-based Solutions Interactive Map: Oregon – Elk River Coho Salmon Recovery Cedar Creek
- The Nature Conservancy Article: How the West Fights Fire with Fire
- USDA Forest Service Fact Sheet: Forest Legacy 2024 Funded Projects
- Green Diamond Resource Company Press Release: Forest Restoration, Partnerships Bring Landscape Back To Life Three Years After the Suppression of the Catastrophic Bootleg Fire
- The Nature Conservancy Press Release: Nature Conservancy Releases Innovative Emerald Edge Carbon Map
- Scientific American Op-Ed by Envionmental Defense Fund Executive Director Amanda Leland & Chief Scientist Steven Hamburg: How Temperate Forests Could Help Limit Climate Change
- Pew Charitable Trusts Article: As Climate Threats Grow, U.S. Seeks to Restore Old-Growth Forests
- SCIENCE: Ecological Applications Study (University of California-Davis): Moderating Effects of Past Wildfire on Reburn Severity Depend on Climate and Initial Severity in Western U.S. Forests
- National Association of Conservation Districts Press Release: NACD Announces Urban and Community Conservation Grants for 35 Recipients
- SCIENCE: The Nature Conservancy Article: Comprehensive Science Review Shows Fuel Treatments Reduce Future Wildfire Severity
- SCIENCE: Forest Ecology & Management Study: Tamm review: A Meta-Analysis of Thinning, Prescribed Fire, and Wildfire Effects on Subsequent Wildfire Severity in Conifer Dominated Forests of the Western US
- Trust for Public Land Press Release: Trust for Public Land Announces Five Cities for Millions in Focused Urban Canopy Investment in Community Schoolyards
- USDA Forest Service Article: Wildfire: A Modern Day Paradox
- Pew Charitable Trusts Article: Rising Wildfire Risks Prompt States to Look for New Approaches to Resilience
- U.S. Nature4Climate/Institute for Applied Ecology Article: It Starts with a Seed: Producing High Quality Native Seed for Restoration in the Willamette Valley
- The Nature Conservancy Article: How the Emerald Edge Rainforest Could Help Change the World
- The Nature Conservancy Article: Through the Fire
Agriculture:
- National Wildlife Federation Article: Protecting the Owyhee Canyonlands
- Pew Charitable Trusts Article: In ‘Oregon’s Outback,’ Federal Plan Has Big Implications for Nature and People
- National Wildlife Federation Article: Grasslands: A Disappearing Ecosystem
- Pew Charitable Trusts Article: Public Wants Stronger Protection of Sage-Grouse Habitat in West
- Pew Charitable Trusts Press Release: Poll Shows Strong Support for Strengthening Sage-Grouse Habitat Protections
- National Wildlife Federation Statement: Bureau of Land Management Must Adopt Durable, Science-Based Management Approaches to Reverse Sage Grouse Declines
- U.S. Nature4Climate Article: Climate Solutions in the Sagebrush Steppe
- The Nature Conservancy Article: The Sagebrush Sea Is Vanishing
Wetlands:
- U.S. Nature4Climate Blog Article: Harnessing Blue Carbon: A Natural Solution to Climate Change and Coastal Resilience
- Pew Charitable Trusts Article: States Improve How They Assess Coastal Wetlands’ Impacts to Reduce Climate Pollution
- U.S. Nature4Climate/Pew Charitable Trusts Article: Oregon Climate Plan Is First in U.S. to Account for ‘Blue Carbon’ Benefits of Coastal Habitats
Reports
Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, Institute for Applied Ecology, and Natural Resources Consultants Report: Restoring Tidal Swamps in the U.S. Pacific Northwest: Information for Restoration Practitioners
Videos & Podcasts
American Forests Video: Restoring Forests and Recreation to South Central Oregon
The Nature Conservancy Video: The Sagebrush Sea
- The Nature Conservancy Video: Connecting Canopies: How Trees Can Make Portland Healthier
Explore More!
A new national survey conducted by U.S. Nature4Climate shows that voters across party lines support natural climate solutions more than ever, suggesting fertile ground for bi-partisan cooperation and consensus-building, opening up new avenues for climate action. Learn more.
Explore U.S. Climate Alliance‘s Climate Policy Database.
Explore Nature4Communities, a resource that shows you how nature-based solutions are critical for your community’s well-being and become a better advocate for their implementation.