The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking public input by December 23, 2024, on how to improve conservation practice standards to maximize climate change mitigation and adaptation benefits, as supported by peer-reviewed scientific literature. Conservation practices providing climate benefits are delivered through existing USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) conservation programs popular with producers, like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), and Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) as well as NRCS technical assistance. 

Specifically, NRCS is asking for public input on improvements that can be made to conservation practice standards for:?

Mitigation: to maximize climate benefits for practice standards currently considered Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Mitigation Activities as well as on any other practices and innovations; and to support the agency’s estimation of the mitigation benefits associated with the practice standards; and? 

Adaptation: to assist producers in adapting to and building resilience to current and future climate changes, such as seasonal temperature shifts and extremes, drought, increasing wildfire hazards, sea level rise, movement of invasive species and other issues.? 

Read the full announcement HERE.