At the national level, initiatives such as America the Beautiful and natural capital accounting are recognizing the importance of natural and working lands for meeting climate objectives and providing many additional benefits to communities. Natural and working land management including reforestation, floodplain restoration, and maintenance of riparian buffers in agricultural lands are examples of nature-based solutions (NBS) that provide value for both natural ecosystems and people. Information about the status and trends of natural and working lands and the benefits they provide is needed to track progress of conservation and restoration initiatives, as well as improve communication about the importance of these lands to communities across the United States.
Tracking the Benefits of Natural & Working Lands in the United States: Dataset Evaluation and Readiness Assessment
The Nicholas Institute collaborated with the US Department of Agriculture to identify datasets ready to use in a national assessment of natural and working lands benefits and to highlight data gaps and limitations.
