The quarterly briefing by NRCS Chief Cosby occurred this week. Below are the highlights on the staff presentation regarding climate change programs, a key priority for USDA.
Climate Smart Practice Update Notes – Dana Ashford-Kornburger.
Thank you all for the continued input and feedback on activities that provide mitigation benefits. Especially those stakeholders that have provided scientific literature and/or participated in State Technical Committees at the state level. Many states are building out Climate Change subcommittees of their State Technical Committees, so this is a great place to give input for state initiatives and provide feedback.
Climate Change Mitigation activities are those expected to provide either a reduction in agricultural GHG emissions, increase / improved carbon sequestration, or both. FY2023 NRCS Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry (CSAF) Mitigation Activities List.
Provisional activities were added in FY2023. These are activities expected to provide mitigation benefits but we have yet decided on an estimation methodology. Those listed as provisional in FY2023 will continue to be on the list in FY2024 – examples of these are Forest Stand Improvement, Energy Efficiency Practices, and Wetland Restoration.
We are also finishing up work on evaluating activities to be added for FY2024 (updated list expected to be published by October 1) - a few of the practices we have been reviewing include feed management, lagoon covers and other waste management practices, some of the irrigation-related practices, soil carbon amendment, and restoration of rare or declining natural communities. We are digging into specific ways practices can be implemented to provide benefits - an example of this currently on the list is irrigation water management - AWD in rice production (reduces methane).
We will continue to work on ways to gather input from external partners, stakeholders, and public. We are working on bringing on additional staff through hiring as well as an Impact Fellow through the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) - listing active on their Talent Hub through September 8. Some of the key items I want this fellow to work on is the expansion of external input opportunities, as well as increase the transparency of the key documentation and the estimation methodologies we use for practices on the NRCS Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry (CSAF) Mitigation Activities List.
Exciting climate opportunities will be available in the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) – On-Farm Trials (OFT) through the feed management and enteric methane emissions, nutrient management, and soil health.