Climate Resiliency - Carbon Sequestration (Midwest Conservation Blueprint 2026 Indicator)

<div style='background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255); border:0px solid currentcolor; box-sizing:border-box; color:rgb(74, 74, 74); font-family:&quot;Avenir Next W01&quot;, &quot;Avenir Next W00&quot;, &quot;Avenir Next&quot;, Avenir, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size:16px; font-style:normal; font-variant-caps:normal; font-variant-ligatures:normal; font-weight:400; letter-spacing:normal; line-height:1.5; text-align:start; text-decoration-color:initial; text-decoration-style:initial; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; word-spacing:0px;'><strong>Definition</strong></div><div style='background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255); border:0px solid currentcolor; box-sizing:border-box; color:rgb(74, 74, 74); font-family:&quot;Avenir Next W01&quot;, &quot;Avenir Next W00&quot;, &quot;Avenir Next&quot;, Avenir, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size:16px; font-style:normal; font-variant-caps:normal; font-variant-ligatures:normal; font-weight:400; letter-spacing:normal; line-height:1.5; text-align:start; text-decoration-color:initial; text-decoration-style:initial; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; word-spacing:0px;'>This indicator identifies the ability of lands and waters to function under changing climate conditions. It prioritizes areas based on the amount of above and belowground carbon stored. Pixels can take the following values:</div><div style='background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255); border:0px solid currentcolor; box-sizing:border-box; color:rgb(74, 74, 74); font-family:&quot;Avenir Next&quot;, Avenir, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size:16px; font-style:normal; font-variant-caps:normal; font-variant-ligatures:normal; font-weight:400; letter-spacing:normal; line-height:1.5; text-align:start; text-decoration-color:initial; text-decoration-style:initial; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; word-spacing:0px;'><ul><li>1 – lower C sequestration, not a natural asset&nbsp;</li><li><span style='font-family:inherit; font-size:16px;'><font style='border:0px solid currentcolor; box-sizing:border-box; font-family:inherit; line-height:1.5;'><span style='border:0px solid currentcolor; box-sizing:border-box; line-height:1.5;'>2 – lower C sequestration, natural assets&nbsp;</span></font></span></li><li><span style='font-family:inherit; font-size:16px;'><font style='border:0px solid currentcolor; box-sizing:border-box; font-family:inherit; line-height:1.5;'><span style='border:0px solid currentcolor; box-sizing:border-box; line-height:1.5;'>3 – medium C sequestration, not a natural asset&nbsp;</span></font></span></li><li><span style='font-family:inherit; font-size:16px;'><font style='border:0px solid currentcolor; box-sizing:border-box; font-family:inherit; line-height:1.5;'><span style='border:0px solid currentcolor; box-sizing:border-box; line-height:1.5;'>4 – medium C sequestration, natural assets&nbsp;</span></font></span></li><li><span style='font-family:inherit; font-size:16px;'><font style='border:0px solid currentcolor; box-sizing:border-box; font-family:inherit; line-height:1.5;'><span style='border:0px solid currentcolor; box-sizing:border-box; line-height:1.5;'>5 – high C sequestration, not a natural asset&nbsp;</span></font></span></li><li><span style='font-family:inherit; font-size:16px;'><font style='border:0px solid currentcolor; box-sizing:border-box; font-family:inherit; line-height:1.5;'><span style='border:0px solid currentcolor; box-sizing:border-box; line-height:1.5;'>6 – high C sequestration, natural assets&nbsp;</span></font></span></li></ul></div><div style='background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255); border:0px solid currentcolor; box-sizing:border-box; color:rgb(74, 74, 74); font-family:&quot;Avenir Next W01&quot;, &quot;Avenir Next W00&quot;, &quot;Avenir Next&quot;, Avenir, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size:16px; font-style:normal; font-variant-caps:normal; font-variant-ligatures:normal; font-weight:400; letter-spacing:normal; line-height:1.5; text-align:start; text-decoration-color:initial; text-decoration-style:initial; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; word-spacing:0px;'><strong>Selection</strong></div><div style='background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255); border:0px solid currentcolor; box-sizing:border-box; color:rgb(74, 74, 74); font-family:&quot;Avenir Next W01&quot;, &quot;Avenir Next W00&quot;, &quot;Avenir Next&quot;, Avenir, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size:16px; font-style:normal; font-variant-caps:normal; font-variant-ligatures:normal; font-weight:400; letter-spacing:normal; line-height:1.5; text-align:start; text-decoration-color:initial; text-decoration-style:initial; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; word-spacing:0px;'>This indicator was chosen as a targetable, important feature of the MLI goals that will be used to track conditions over time and prioritize areas for conservation. Indicators were defined through elicitation and prioritization exercises with federal and state participants. Criteria for the indicators includes 1) actionable, 2) measurable, 3) relevant to multiple groups across the region, and/or 4) representative of other social and/or environmental values.<br />&nbsp;</div><div style='background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255); border:0px solid currentcolor; box-sizing:border-box; color:rgb(74, 74, 74); font-family:&quot;Avenir Next W01&quot;, &quot;Avenir Next W00&quot;, &quot;Avenir Next&quot;, Avenir, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size:16px; font-style:normal; font-variant-caps:normal; font-variant-ligatures:normal; font-weight:400; letter-spacing:normal; line-height:1.5; text-align:start; text-decoration-color:initial; text-decoration-style:initial; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; word-spacing:0px;'><strong>Input Data &amp; Mapping Steps</strong></div><div style='background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255); border:0px solid currentcolor; box-sizing:border-box; color:rgb(74, 74, 74); font-family:&quot;Avenir Next W01&quot;, &quot;Avenir Next W00&quot;, &quot;Avenir Next&quot;, Avenir, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size:16px; font-style:normal; font-variant-caps:normal; font-variant-ligatures:normal; font-weight:400; letter-spacing:normal; line-height:1.5; text-align:start; text-decoration-color:initial; text-decoration-style:initial; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; word-spacing:0px;'>This indicator originates from the U.N. Environment Programme World Biomass and Soil Carbon data. To create this layer, MLI partners, members, and staff completed the following mapping steps: projected all input data to NAD83 (2011) UTM Zone 15N, resampled to a 30m raster, and reclassed the raster into the following 3 classes: 1 – 0-125 metric tons of Carbon per hectare, 3 – 126-205 mectric tons of Carbon per hectare, 5 – &gt;205 metric tons of Carbon per hectare. Due to the low resolution of the data, we emphasized natural assets by mosaicking the Natural Assets layer to the Carbon raster. Finally, we removed highly altered areas from this layer using our Highly Altered Areas mask.&nbsp;</div><div style='background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255); border:0px solid currentcolor; box-sizing:border-box; color:rgb(74, 74, 74); font-family:&quot;Avenir Next W01&quot;, &quot;Avenir Next W00&quot;, &quot;Avenir Next&quot;, Avenir, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size:16px; font-style:normal; font-variant-caps:normal; font-variant-ligatures:normal; font-weight:400; letter-spacing:normal; line-height:1.5; text-align:start; text-decoration-color:initial; text-decoration-style:initial; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; word-spacing:0px;'>&nbsp;</div><div style='background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255); border:0px solid currentcolor; box-sizing:border-box; color:rgb(74, 74, 74); font-family:&quot;Avenir Next W01&quot;, &quot;Avenir Next W00&quot;, &quot;Avenir Next&quot;, Avenir, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size:16px; font-style:normal; font-variant-caps:normal; font-variant-ligatures:normal; font-weight:400; letter-spacing:normal; line-height:1.5; text-align:start; text-decoration-color:initial; text-decoration-style:initial; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; word-spacing:0px;'>For full mapping details, please refer to the&nbsp;<a style='border:0px solid currentcolor; box-sizing:border-box; color:rgb(0, 97, 155); font-family:inherit; line-height:1.5; text-decoration:none;' target='_blank' href='https://fws.maps.arcgis.com/sharing/rest/content/items/e983a4ff0f6d475cb9336fba1c1fbbaa/data' rel='nofollow ugc noopener noreferrer'>Midwest Conservation Blueprint Development Process</a>. For a complete download of all Blueprint input and output data, visit the&nbsp;<a target='_blank' href='https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/69851105b66b018dbd961c58' rel='nofollow ugc noopener noreferrer'>Midwest Conservation Blueprint 2026 Data Download.</a></div>