Forest and Land Use Appendix

ICLEI USA developed a new protocol that enables U.S. cities and counties to include forests and trees within their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions accounting, a key activity to ensure representation of local forestry and land use considerations in climate action planning. The protocol was piloted in Montgomery County, MD; Los Angeles County, CA; and Whatcom County; WA; representing the dramatic spectrum of climate and land cover across the country. The protocol provides, for the first time, guidance to U.S. communities for estimating the GHG emissions and removals from forests. The Appendix also considers “trees outside forests,” including urban trees and trees in croplands, which are often overlooked in national assessments.

Later, ICLEI developed the free Land Emissions and Removals Navigator (LEARN) tool to help local governments implement this protocol.