Communities and neighborhoods vary in their access to green space (parks and open space). This may be because of the amount or area of parks/open space available, or because of the ability to reach the parks (e.g., based on transportation/transit availability).

Evaluate distribution of green space per capita over urban landscapes. Communities and neighborhoods vary in their access to green space (parks and open space). This may be because of the amount of open space/parks available, or because of the ability to reach parks based on transit availability. Equitable distribution of green space is important in urban areas and to disadvantaged communities.

Measure the impact of carbon offset projects on management of California forestlands. There are two types of offset projects. First, under the California Cap-and-Trade Program, the Air Resources Board has the authority to approve forestry compliance offset projects. Project types include reforestation, improved forest management, and avoided conversion. Second, there are voluntary forestry offset projects that have been approved by voluntary agencies such as the Climate Action Reserve (Reserve), the American Carbon Registry (ACR), and the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS). The acreage in California being managed for carbon offset projects provides a measure of the impact of these programs on actual forest management in California, in terms of land managed to maintain or improve carbon storage, and to provide additional environmental benefits such as improved water quality and habitat.

Provides a measure of the risk to new dense Interface development (<1 house/2 acres) of wildfire penetration, based on its proximate Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) class. In contrast to Intermix areas, Interface lands have more manicured, irrigated and highly modified vegetation, and it is often the structural fuels can contribute significantly to fire spread. Wildfires in this form of WUI fires are relatively rare, and typically only spread under very extreme fire weather conditions. But due the high density of assets such as homes, roads, and residential and commercial infrastructure, damage levels from burning can be very high even over small areas.

Projected new, more fire-resilient development that would replace existing historically high risk WUI. Current WUI that has both high adjacent fire threats, and characteristics that create high susceptibility to fire damage (e.g. vegetation density and structure, ignition-prone building materials, poor design and lower fire protection capacity) can have its risk level reduced by replacing the adjacent wildland fuels with high density Interface. The new Interface would provide both a spatial buffer to wildland fire threats, and would also be less fire-prone, due to current design standards and improved community planning requirements associated with new development.

The amount of private forest the USFS is directly protecting through their Forest Legacy program. Protected forests enhance the cultural, social, and spiritual appreciation of forests. Acres of land protected under the Forest Legacy program.

Acres of projected future Intermix by Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) class. Intermix is defined as between 1 house/2 acres, and 1 house/20 acres (0.5 to 0.05 houses/acre). Landscapes with housing densities of less than 1 house per 2 acres ( 0.5 houses/acre) typically retain most of their natural vegetation fuels, and consequently are not as resilient to wildfires as denser urbanized areas. Although wildfires are fairly frequent in these types of environments, structural values (due to low housing density) are typically relatively low (as compared to urban areas).

This is a multi-component measure of direct production in agriculture. A farm or ranch is defined as having $1,000 or more in gross agricultural sales. Other components of production include type of commodity produced, acres in production, dollar or volume levels of farm sales (a measure of scale), and the type of business organization (family, corporate, etc.). Farm structure is an indirect indicator of production capacity for food and fiber.

Air pollution can be reduced when natural vegetation is present. Plants can absorb/adsorb pollutants from the air, including very fine particles and gases (e.g., ozone).

Evaluate urban area air quality. Air pollution can be reduced when natural vegetation is present. Plants and trees can absorb harmful pollutants from the air including fine particles and gases. Trees also can reduce the urban heat island effect by reducing urban air temperatures.