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Why is this a Climate Smart indicator?

• Restoring damaged ecosystems (e.g. wetlands, riparian zones, native grasslands, forests) from urbanization increases carbon sequestration as vegetation regrows and soils rebuild.
• Enhancement activities such as invasive species removal and riparian revegetation can reduce emissions from soil disturbance, prevent erosion, and increase carbon storage capacity.
• Co-benefits include flood risk reduction, enhanced water filtration, habitat creation, microclimate regulation, and improved ecosystem resilience to climate stress.

Key Strategies

• Oak Woodland Restoration: Restoring oak woodlands in areas currently covered by non-native grasses where oak woodland ecological communities were historically located. Oak woodlands are the most prevalent natural habitat surrounding the City – accounting for close to 20% of San José’s sphere of influence (SOI.)
• Native Grassland Restoration: Restoring native grasslands in areas currently covered by non-native grasses and associated species. Grasslands account for 13% of San José’s SOI.
• Wetland Restoration: Restoring both saline wetlands (baylands) and freshwater wetlands. Saline and freshwater wetlands account for 3% of San Jose’s SOI.
• Riparian Restoration: Increasing the density of woody plant species in and around stream and river corridors.

What is the City doing to make progress on this indicator?

In Progress / Ongoing

• Efforts to map and protect trees vulnerable to short hole borer beetle infestation, including those located in riparian corridors (2024-present).
• The City is a partner in the development of the Open Space Authority’s Coyote Valley Conservation Areas Master Plan, which will create a roadmap for the future use and restoration of Coyote Valley’s recently protected valley-floor lands (2021-present).

about the data

Sources

Data on new acres of land utilizing restoration and enhancement practices are provided by local and regional agencies that lead and monitor relevant efforts. Agencies consulted for data collection included San José’s Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services Department, Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority, Santa Clara County Cooperative Extension, and Santa Clara County Valley Water District.

The following restoration and enhancement practices are considered for this metric: riparian restoration, wetland restoration, urban forest expansion, oak woodland restoration, native grassland restoration, biosolids application (on non-croplands and grazing lands), compost application (on non-croplands and grazing lands) and mulching application (on non-croplands and grazing lands).

“New” acreage is defined as any land that started utilizing restoration and enhancement practices after 2021, when San José’s NWL Element was developed.

You can view more details on this metric and the criteria for each applicable practice in the linked NWL Element.

Limitations

There isn't a comprehensive nor consistent source of data on regenerative agriculture projects in San Jose. Because of this, there are most likely projects that have not been captured in the reported data. In addition to annual consultation with the above listed agencies, Staff continue to look for additional sources of data to fill in any blanks.

Last updated

November 2025