Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the release of the U.S. Department of Agricultures Climate Change Science Plan last week at UN climated talks in Cancun.
The plan’s stated objective is to incorporate management of the challenges
created by climate change into the scientific missions of USDA. It
provides a guide for the Department on scientific priorities to better
serve USDA stakeholders by providing them with information about the
impact of climate change and it outlines options to mitigate emissions
and help producers adapt to expected change.
"Farmers, ranchers and forest owners have a great deal to contribute to mitigating climate change, while also ensuring that farms adapt to climate change, and they can benefit by embracing a range of conservation practices," said Vilsack.
Vilsack said USDA will demonstrate ways landowners can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon sequestration while improving their financial bottom line. The effort includes providing opportunities to leverage private sector demand for greenhouse gas mitigation services, evaluating how emerging greenhouse gas markets can work in concert with USDA programs to protect the environment, and building capacity within USDA to understand voluntary greenhouse gas markets and to explore improved approaches for greenhouse gas accounting systems.
Among other initiatives, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will provide $15 million in Conservation Innovation Grant funds and other assistance to support large-scale demonstration projects to accelerate the adoption of new approaches to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and promote carbon sequestration on private lands. As part of this, NRCS will provide financial assistance to support eligible producers as they implement conservation practices associated with these selected GHG projects.
Additionally, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) will implement a project to provide information to landowners who enroll in certain tree planting conservation practices under the Conservation Reserve Program and who voluntarily request an estimate of the amount of carbon stored as a result of these practices. FSA will develop a communications tool to link companies, organizations and participants in carbon storage activities and information sharing. The project will begin next year.
In addition, Vilsack announced that institutions in seven states were awarded Federal funding for research on the economics of reducing agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. USDA will fund studies to examine the economics of agricultural participation in proposed greenhouse gas markets, including the potential impacts on GHG reduction. The projects are meant to identify cost-effective ways farmers can reduce emissions and also help design the incentives for their participation in greenhouse gas markets or other agricultural programs.
USDA’s Climate Change Science Plan is available at the link below.
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