The Growing Climate Solutions Act was introduced in the Senate on April 20, 2021 by Senator Mike Braun [R-IN] on behalf of himself and 37 original co-sponsors* (27 Democrats, 26 Republicans and 1 Independent). The Bill was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry on April 22, 2021, and passed the Senate without amendment on June 24, 2021 with a 92-8 vote. This Bill was also introduced in the 116th Congress, but did not receive a vote. A related bill was also introduced in the House as H.R.2820 and referred to the House Committee on Agriculture, but no further action has been taken.
THE BILL: S.1251 “Addressing the climate crisis is one of the most urgent challenges we face, and our farmers and foresters are an important part of the solution. The bipartisan Growing Climate Solutions Act is a win-win for farmers, our economy and for our environment. Our bill is a perfect example of how we can work across the aisle and find common ground to address a critical issue affecting all of us and our future.” -- Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow What does the Bill do? This bipartisan Bill would work to create voluntary, market-driven programs that are geared towards assisting farmers, ranchers and forest landowners who sustainably reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in order to increase climate resilience. The program encourages sustainable farming practices, facilitates participation in carbon market programs, and provides technical assistance for those who want to be involved in either the carbon market or other greenhouse gas markets. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) would be tasked with identifying which agricultural practices both best reduce greenhouse gas emissions and take carbon dioxide (CO2) out of the atmosphere and store (sequester) it. All information would be accessible through an open source website, including suggestions and instructions for accessing voluntary environmental credit markets. All entities that meet the requirements will be listed on the public website, though non-compliance with protocols can result in a revocation of the certification. Activities that prevent, reduce, or mitigate greenhouse gas emissions could include carbon sequestration in land and soil, livestock emissions reductions, on-farm energy generation, energy feedstock production, reforestation, forest management, restoration of wetlands or grasslands, reduced fuel use, and many others. Additionally, the Bill would create a certification program through the USDA to help address the typical entry barriers for those interested in climate-conscious efforts. The Secretary of Agriculture will establish an Advisory Council known as the Greenhouse Gas Technical Assistance Provider and Third-Party Verifier Certification Program that would be responsible for ensuring entities meet the requirements of voluntary credit markets. This includes calculations, sampling methods, accounting principles, systems for monitoring and reporting, and methods to account for leaks. The purpose is to establish consistency, reliability, efficiency and transparency to these protocols. To carry out the work above, this Bill would include $1M for each fiscal year 2022-2026. 4.1M in funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (1) may be used toward this legislation if they are available if/when this Bill is enacted. Why was it proposed? The interesting thing about agriculture is that it can be both a source (2) and a sink (3) for greenhouse gases. Learning how to balance the two in our changing climate is becoming more and more essential. According to the EPA, agricultural practices contribute about 10.2% of the greenhouse gas emissions in the United States (4). Most significantly, this includes methane released from livestock, and nitrous oxide from excess fertilizer. Additionally, climate change has the potential to greatly impact agricultural productivity, which affects everyone. Changing climate can result in changes in rainfall patterns, increases in duration and severity of weather extremes such as droughts, changes in temperature and pest pressure. As the weather in agricultural regions over time shifts toward a different normal, new invasive species will become more of a challenge for maintaining crop integrity. All of these combined makes bountiful crop yields much more challenging to obtain. It is in everyone's best interest to protect agricultural productivity. Many farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners recognize the impact that climate change is having on agricultural productivity, and are excellent at adapting to increasingly variable weather. A study by researchers at Iowa State University found that over half of farmers surveyed agreed that additional steps were needed to protect their land from increased rainfall (5). Benefits This is the first major piece of bipartisan legislation that would help farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This is particularly important to note since in general, the federal government is still debating most climate related policy, and legislation that does pass tends to pass more closely along party lines. Additionally, the Bill would allow farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners to identify on their own terms the protocols that could work for their land and situation. This Bill ensures that farmers, ranchers and forest landowners benefit from being part of the climate solution, therefore incentivizing others. Challenges As the program is voluntary, it may be difficult to get buy-in from farmers, ranchers and forest landowners. Voluntary programs are not set up to hold participants accountable for falling short of the program’s goals. Progressive organizations (including farmer, farmworker, environmental justice, climate, environmental, animal welfare groups) believe that the Act fails to accurately address the impact that farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners have on the environment. Carbon markets do not eliminate greenhouse gases, but instead allow an entity to continue contributing greenhouse gases to the atmosphere while paying to offset those emissions somewhere else. The carbon credits generated by farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners through this program would be purchased by companies that produce greenhouse gas emissions such as power plants, refineries, and other polluting companies. This process can fail to reduce overall emissions and can exacerbate pollution hotspots in communities of color and low-income communities (6). The reality of Congress This Bill has a 46% chance of being enacted into law (govtrack.com) This Bill has substantial support from Democrats (27), Republicans (26), and Independents (1). How Republicans see it: The Republican party platform notes that the US is the largest agricultural exporter in the world, and that exports are vital for other sectors of the economy and economic growth. It also mentions that farmers and ranchers are among the country’s leading conservationists, and modern farm practices and programs from the Department of Agriculture, led to reduced erosion and improved water and air quality, etc. The Republican party states that they “remain committed to conservation policies based on preservation, not the restriction, of working lands.” They also believe that more power should be in the states’ and landowners' hands, and this Bill would allow the farmers, ranchers, and landowners to make the decision to participate. How Democrats see it: This legislation aligns well with the high priority party platform to combat the climate crisis, which they recognize is a global emergency. Additionally, the platform seeks to partner with farmers to achieve net-zero emissions in the agricultural sector while also creating new streams of income for farmers. Want to advocate? Does this Bill resonate with you? Do you want to see it become a law? Have concerns or thoughts you would like to discuss? These senators co-sponsored this Bill, Senators Mike Braun [R-IN], Debbie Stabenow [D-MI], Lindsey Graham [R-SC], Sheldon Whitehouse [D-RI], John Boozman [R-AR], Amy Klobuchar [D-MN], Deb Fischer [R-NE], Michael Bennet [D-CO], Chuck Grassley [R-IA],Tina Smith [D-MN], Joni Ernst [R-IA], Chris Coons [D-DE], John Thune [R-SD], Susan Collins [R-ME], Angus King [I-ME], Jacky Rosen [D-NV], Todd Young [R-IN], Sherrod Brown [D-OH], John Hoeven [R-ND], Jeanne Shaheen [D-NH], Marco Rubio [R-FL], Martin Heinrich [D-NM], Bill Cassidy [R-LA], Dianne Feinstein [D-CA], Lisa Murkowski [R-AK], Tom Carper [D-DE], Mitt Romney [R-UT], Ron Wyden [R-OR], Mike Crapo [R-ID], Ben Ray Luján [D-NM], Tammy Baldwin [D-WI], Cindy Hyde-Smith [R-MS], Cynthia Lummis [R-WY], Raphael Warnock [D-GA], Bill Cassidy [R-LA], Tommy Tuberville [R-AL], Roger W. Marshall [R-KS], John Cornyn[R-TX], Kevin Cramer [R-ND], Robert P. Casey Jr. [D-PA], Rob Portman [R-OH], Gary C. Peters [D-MI], Richard J.Durbin [D-IL], Brian Schatz [D-HI], Mark Kelly [D-AZ], Tim Scott [R-SC], Roy BLunt [R-MO], Margaret Wood Hassan[D-NH], Mike Rounds [R-SD], Tammy Duckworth [D-IL], Tim Kaine [D-VA], Catherine Cortez Masto [D-NV], John W. Hickenlooper [D-CO], Kyrsten Sinema [D-AZ], Roger F. Wicker [R-MS], and Jerry Moran [R-KS] take the time to thank them via letter, email or phone call! This Bill is currently in the House. you can email, call or set up a meeting with your Representatives by finding their emails at https://www.congress.gov/members?searchResultViewType=expanded to voice your thoughts. Remember to use our Resources page for more information and guidance when reaching out! Footnotes
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