San Francisco Climate Action Plan2026 plan · progress dashboard

Taking action across sectors · 6 of 7

Healthy Ecosystems

Rapid biodiversity loss is threatening global ecosystems essential to food, water, public health, species conservation, and climate resilience.

For decades, San Francisco has addressed this crisis with habitat restoration and stewardship.

Increasing the City's native biodiversity and street tree cover provides direct benefits to residents, including improved air quality; more groundwater, shade, and cooler temperatures; and greater health and well-being.

Plan chapter begins on page 80 of the published PDF.

Goals

  1. By 2030Biodiverse Land: By 2030, 30-40% of San Francisco's land area is permeable (can absorb rain), and at least 30% of this is biodiverse greenspace.
  2. By 2040Access to Nature: By 2040, every San Franciscan lives within a 10-minute walk from nature in the city.
  3. By 2040Trees as Public Infrastructure: By 2040, plant enough trees to achieve a net increase of 30,000 for a total of 155,000 street trees, completing the street tree network and enhancing a healthy urban forest.

Accomplishments so far

Strategies and actions

5 strategies, 37 actions. Departments listed on an action lead its implementation.

Strategy 1 · 11 actions

Sustainably manage and restore biodiversity in parks, natural lands, and large open spaces.

No indicator yet for this strategy. See how progress is measured.

  1. 1-1

    Between 2026 and 2030, maintain and, if possible, increase staffing for sustainable management of all biodiverse natural lands citywide. ALL

    By 2030

  2. 1-2

    By 2030, restore 10-20 acres of degraded or low habitat quality Recreation and Parks Department lands to biodiverse natural lands. RPD

    By 2030

  3. 1-3

    By 2030, install 8,000 linear feet of dune habitat fencing, better delineate pedestrian circulation routes, add educational signage about dune ecosystem health, complete an ecological study and implementation plan for alternative habitat restoration treatments, and plant 2.3 acres of native dune plants at priority areas along Ocean Beach. RPD

    By 2030

  4. 1-4

    By 2028, complete the 7.3-acre India Basin Shoreline Park project, including 1,300 linear feet of shoreline enhancement, 1.3 acres of new upland habitat, 0.4 acres of new wetland habitat, and 760 feet of Bay Trail. RPD

    By 2028

  5. 1-5

    By 2028, complete revegetation of the Heron's Head Shoreline Resilience Project and continue monitoring and, if necessary, perform adaptive management of the shoreline through 2033. Port

    By 2028

  6. 1-6

    By 2030, finalize the plan to incorporate Engineering with Nature features, as part of the Waterfront Resilience Program, into approximately 2.8 miles of the San Francisco shoreline. Features will include living seawalls, rocky intertidal, ecotone levees, creek enhancements, green stormwater infrastructure, ecological armoring, and naturalized/embankment shoreline. Port

    By 2030

  7. 1-7

    By 2028, complete projects incorporating local native plants, expanding the Port's native plant coverage by 0.5 acre and adding at least 50 native trees at various locations throughout the Southern Waterfront. Port

    By 2028

  8. 1-8

    By 2030, expand active, sustainable management for biodiversity to 50 acres of Yerba Buena Island, and create 5 new acres of ecological parkland on Treasure Island. TIDA, RPD

    By 2030

  9. 1-9

    By 2027, initiate restoration on approximately four acres of aging non-native forests on SFPUC lands at Clarendon, Glen Canyon and Laguna Honda to native scrub, wetland and oak woodland habitats. SFPUC

    By 2027

  10. 1-10

    By 2030, at West of Bayshore, restore 2,700 linear feet of seasonal wetlands, convert up to 2.75 acres of seasonal wetlands to productive uplands for sensitive species, and create 750 linear feet of new ephemeral creek and associated riparian habitat. SFO

    By 2030

  11. 1-11

    By 2027, all City department lands will be managed in accordance with the Healthier, Cleaner, Quieter Communities Act, transitioning to electric landscaping equipment for all products in which replacement technology exists. SFE

    By 2027

Racial and Social Equity ReviewWhat the equity review said about this strategy

Equity impacts

Careers in habitat management, recreation and parks, and other healthy ecosystem jobs are often unknown or unattainable for EJ communities. They often face barriers to access parks and open spaces. Improving or developing these lands can make areas more desirable to live in and may increase cost of surrounding housing, causing displacement. EJ communities also are left out of decision-making around what occurs in parks, natural lands, and open spaces.

Recommendations

  • Continue RPD programs to connect jobs to EJ communities and ensure a focus/prioritization in EJ communities.
  • Continue to improve access to parks and open spaces whenever possible.
  • Ensure coordination of anti-displacement laws and regulations.
  • Community buy-in and cross-departmental coordination with housing regulations is key.
  • Ensure responsiveness to community needs and community empowerment.
  • Identify EJ and vulnerable communities that could benefit most from biodiversity restoration and maintenance and prioritize those projects.

Suggested edit to the draft

Suggest revising the following action: HE 1-1: "…increase staffing *with an outreach focus in EJ communities* for sustainable…" HE 1-5: "*Work with community to* complete revegetation of Heron’s Head Shoreline Resilience Project by 2028, and continue..." Suggest adding the following action: "Explore programs to create a sense of park ownership in EJ communities, to support maintenance, beautification efforts, and placemaking."

Not adopted. Final HE-1-1 and HE-1-5 do not carry the suggested phrases; no park-ownership action appears.

Source: 2026 Climate Action Plan, Appendix C. Adoption status is our reading of the final text, pending SFE confirmation.

Strategy 2 · 7 actions

Maximize integration of biodiverse greening into the built environment.

No indicator yet for this strategy. See how progress is measured.

  1. 2-1

    By 2030, complete Yosemite Creek daylighting project at McLaren Park. SFPUC

    By 2030

  2. 2-2

    By 2030, implement pilot project with CalTrans, Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Authority, and/or other state agencies to revegetate degraded expressway, highway, and/or rail corridors with native trees and shrubs. SFPW, SFE

    By 2030

  3. 2-3

    By 2030, create a City-owned local native plant nursery for projects in the built environment. SFE

    By 2030

  4. 2-4

    By 2030, create a green-infrastructure biodiversity corridor on one or more streets. SFPUC, SFPW

    By 2030

  5. 2-5

    By 2030, build one or more pilot, scalable, pollinator-habitat landscapes at affordable housing sites. SFE

    By 2030

  6. 2-6

    By 2030, implement 7-10 acres of the Sunset Boulevard Biodiversity Master Plan by planting native grasses, trees and shrubs for habitat and climate resilience. SFPW

    By 2030

  7. 2-7

    By 2030, use biodiverse green infrastructure to manage 440 million gallons of stormwater per year. SFPUC

    By 2030

Racial and Social Equity ReviewWhat the equity review said about this strategy

Equity impacts

Access to green spaces is often limited in EJ communities. EJ communities may be less informed about ways to integrate biodiverse greening into the built environment. Greening of neighborhoods can lead to gentrification, increasing housing costs and displacement. Green spaces are usually limited in EJ communities and can be at odds with cultural respect of native tribes. EJ communities are also most vulnerable climate change and require special focus and attention to become more resilient.

Recommendations

  • Continue outreach to support education around ways to implement the strategy and explore ways to specifically target EJ communities for workforce development opportunities.
  • Work with EJ communities to ensure anti-displacement measures are implemented, that access to green spaces is responsive to the needs of the community, and that their opinions are incorporated into any greening project in ways that respects the desires of native communities.
  • Ensure ongoing efforts that target EJ communities and that engage EJ residents to ensure the space meets their needs.

Partly reflected in the final plan. HE-2-5 pilots pollinator habitat at affordable housing sites.

Source: 2026 Climate Action Plan, Appendix C. Adoption status is our reading of the final text, pending SFE confirmation.

Strategy 3 · 7 actions · 2 indicators

Fully plant and manage a safe and healthy urban forest.

  1. 3-1

    By 2027, City agencies will compile tree management procedures into one accessible public document that incorporates climate resilience, ecosystem services, and biodiversity, and deploy them by 2028. SFE, SFPW, RPD, Port, SFPUC URBAN FORESTRY COUNCIL: SFE, SFPW, RPD, PORT, SFPUC

    By 2027

  2. 3-2

    By 2027, update the San Francisco Urban Tree Canopy Analysis map and then regularly update every five years. SFE

    By 2027

  3. 3-3

    By 2030, pending availability of resources, complete the Urban Forest Master Plan Phase 2 (Parks and Open Space) and Phase 3 (Private Lands and Backyards). RPD, Port, SFPUC, Planning, SFE Phase 2: RPD, PORT, SFPUC; Phase 3: PLANNING, SFE

    By 2030

  4. 3-4

    By 2028, secure funding to plant 5,000 trees per year to meet the City's street tree goal. SFPW

    By 2028

  5. 3-5

    By 2027, inventory suitable locations for planting coast live oak, other native trees, and arborescent shrubs in public spaces beyond sidewalks. SFPW, SFE

    By 2027

  6. 3-6

    By 2027, maintain street tree network according to the schedule stipulated in StreetTreeSF. SFPW

    By 2027

  7. 3-7

    By 2030, fully fund park tree maintenance program. RPD

    By 2030

Racial and Social Equity ReviewWhat the equity review said about this strategy

Equity impacts

Economic benefits from a healthy urban forest require an intentional approach to ensure EJ communities are not left behind. Specifically, urban heat island effect can be felt where tree coverage is minimal. Projects like this should pay special consideration towards higher housing costs and displacement potential, community involvement and empowerment.

Recommendations

  • Continue workforce development programs that target EJ communities, as well as collaboration with EJ communities to ensure community empowerment and stewardship.
  • Work with EJ communities to mitigate the adverse impacts of maintaining and expanding urban forests and ensure that urban forests are responsive to EJ communities' needs.
  • Ensure benefits of urban forest are felt in the most vulnerable communities.

Not traceable in the final text. The chapter narrative prioritizes the southeast for planting; no action text names EJ communities.

Source: 2026 Climate Action Plan, Appendix C. Adoption status is our reading of the final text, pending SFE confirmation.

Strategy 4 · 9 actions

Advance key tools for implementing urban greening, biodiversity conservation, and ecosystem restoration.

No indicator yet for this strategy. See how progress is measured.

  1. 4-1

    By 2026, develop and maintain baseline map of citywide biodiverse greenspace to measure progress toward “30X30” goals, to help prioritize strategic nature conservation actions, inform the Share Nature website, and help create a walking score metric. SFE

    By 2026

  2. 4-2

    By 2028, develop and implement a standardized, science-based protocol to measure changes in biodiversity across the city's greenspaces. SFE, RSF

    By 2028

  3. 4-3

    By 2026, determine gaps in tree protection policies on streets and sidewalks. SFPW

    By 2026

  4. 4-4

    By 2027, strengthen policies that preserve and protect high value trees during private development or public infrastructure projects in the urban environment, and that sufficiently mitigate loss of trees whose removal is unavoidable. SFPW

    By 2027

  5. 4-5

    By 2027, extend compliance with the Biodiversity Guidelines to commercial and multi-family development projects. SFE, Planning

    By 2027

  6. 4-6

    By 2027, offer new incentives for non-commercial private property owners to preserve existing and create new green space; protect mature trees and shrubs; and plant local natives. SFE

    By 2027

  7. 4-7

    By 2027, develop the Bee-Friendly Nursery program, which incentivizes commercial nurseries to sell local native plants, and use tools like Share Nature to help San Francisco residents create more wildlife habitat. SFE

    By 2027

  8. 4-8

    By 2028, produce a citywide biodiversity atlas and restoration roadmap and establish diverse species and ecosystem conservation targets. SFE

    By 2028

  9. 4-9

    By 2030, develop a geographic-based tool to catalog SFO's softscape and quantify on-site, nature-based carbon sequestration potential. SFO, SFE

    By 2030

Racial and Social Equity ReviewWhat the equity review said about this strategy

Equity impacts

Access to open spaces is important for the overall health of communities. Open space improvements can increase access but can also have consequences of displacement and higher costs of housing. Tools used need to be responsive to the needs of EJ communities and reflect the diverse cultures of San Francisco.

Recommendations

  • Ensure close coordination with anti-displacement policies and work with communities to address concerns and ensure key tools are responsive to needs of EJ communities.
  • As part of the strategy, ensure there are various opportunities for community input, and consider ways to ensure tools are responsive and respectful of various cultures.
  • Ensure tools are responsive to needs of EJ communities.

Not traceable in the final text. HE-4-1 baseline map is meant to prioritize conservation actions and inform a walking-score metric.

Source: 2026 Climate Action Plan, Appendix C. Adoption status is our reading of the final text, pending SFE confirmation.

Strategy 5 · 3 actions

Advance urban agriculture.

No indicator yet for this strategy. See how progress is measured.

  1. 5-1

    By 2030, build, restore, or renovate three community gardens, with a focus on environmental justice priority areas, community cohesion, and social development. RPD

    By 2030

  2. 5-2

    By 2026, establish a native plant nursery at Alemany Farm to support Recreation and Parks urban agriculture and community garden sites. RPD

    By 2026

  3. 5-3

    By 2030, establish the San Francisco Garden Resource Outreach and Workshop Center (SF GROW Center): a permanent hub for urban agriculture resources, workshops, and technical assistance. RPD

    By 2030