Agriculture & Forestry

In the growing metropolitan Washington region, farmland, forests, and other green space offer important environmental, economic, and quality of life benefits. Agriculture production also provides jobs and income to farmers and farm workers and local food for area residents and businesses. Farmland preserves open space that helps to protect ecosystems and natural resources. And forests and green infrastructure provide a natural foundation to filter water and air, support diverse animal and plant habitats, and provide recreational opportunities for area residents.

COG’s Urban Forestry Program is one of planning and planting, actively enhancing the preservation of forestry resources in the region through projects and workshops with member governments policies and programs in cooperation with federal, state, and local forestry program partners.  Through regional forest cover analysis, the program examines gaps in the forest canopy and forest habitat to target areas for reforestation and enhancement. 

COG’s Green Infrastructure Program examines regional green space and open space land cover types from urban pocket parks to urban agriculture; from small forest plots to large forestlands, meadow and farmland tracts.  COG produced the first comprehensive regional green infrastructure land cover maps in 2004 using 1999/2000 Landsat imagery and produced an update in 2013 using 2011 imagery. 

COG’s Regional Agricultural Initiative seeks to provide information on the current and historical state of agriculture in metropolitan Washington, and to create a regional agriculture network to link farmers, consumers, and policymakers.