USDA unveils new climate partnership initiative, requests public input
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BOZEMAN — The U.S. Department of Agriculture is committed to partnering with agriculture, forestry and rural communities to develop climate solutions that strengthen rural America. The Department has outlined and requested public comments on a new climate partnership initiative designed to create new revenue streams for producers via market opportunities for commodities produced using climate-smart practices.
Guided by science, USDA will support a set of pilot projects that provide incentives to implement climate-smart conservation practices on working lands and to quantify and monitor the carbon and greenhouse gas benefits associated with those practices. The pilots could rely on the Commodity Credit Corporation’s specific power to aid in expansion or development of new and additional markets. The Department published a Request for Information seeking public comment and input on design of the new initiative.
“Through extreme weather, drought and fire, our agriculture producers are on the frontlines of climate change,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “The new Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Partnership Initiative will support pilots that create new market opportunities for commodities produced using climate-smart practices and position U.S. farmers, ranchers and forest landowners as leaders in addressing climate change. The pilots will invest in the science, monitoring and verification to measure the benefits of these climate-smart practices. Today, we ask for public input to inform our decision making and enhance the design of this initiative.”
Comments may be provided on or before 11:59 p.m. EST on Nov. 1, 2021, via the Federal Register, Docket ID: USDA-2021-0010.
