Jeanne Merrill

Bill to Help Farmers Fight Climate Change Signed by the Governor

September 28, 2018 by Jeanne Merrill 1 Comment

Assembly Bill 2377, authored by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks), was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown earlier today. This bill funds technical assistance for farmers and ranchers seeking to transition to Climate Smart Agriculture.

Asm. Irwin, José Robles, and CalCAN staff and partners after the Senate Ag Committee vote. From left to right: Poojan Thakrar, Brian Shobe, Asm. Jacqui Irwin, José Robles, Jeanne Merrill, Noah Lakritz, Kara Heckert, Lauren Lum. Behind the Camera: Amy Winzer.

“As California continues to lead the way in climate change, it’s imperative that we assist all
industries so that they adopt practices that will help achieve our climate goals,” said
Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin. “I’m grateful that the governor saw the need to improve these
programs as a vital piece of hitting our climate objectives.”

California is the nation’s leader in food production and contributes significantly to our global food
security and state economy. California has over 77,000 farms and ranches which are vulnerable to the
effects of climate change. California’s Climate Smart Agriculture programs provide important financial
resources to encourage farmers and ranchers to adopt farm management practices that will reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon sequestering to help meet the state’s greenhouse gas
emissions reduction target.

The bill requires that 5 percent of the annual budgets for the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement
Program (SWEEP), the Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP), and the Healthy Soils
Program be used to establish a technical assistance grant program offering grants of up to $100,000 dollars annually for up to three years. The bill prioritizes technical assistance for small and moderately-scaled farms and ranches and requires at least 25 percent of the technical assistance funds available to be provided to socially
disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.

“With the signing of AB 2377, California is once again demonstrating leadership in making Climate
Smart Agriculture practical and feasible for farmers and ranchers throughout the state,” said
Jeanne Merrill, Policy Director with the California Climate and Agriculture Network (CalCAN).

AB 2377 was supported by a diverse group of agriculture, conservation and environmental organizations. Here were their reactions today:

“California vintners and growers address environmental challenges, including climate change, on a daily basis and are committed to expanding their efforts. AB 2377 sets aside critical technical assistance resources to ensure the design and implementation of Climate Smart Agricultural programs are maximized.” —Tim Schmelzer, Vice President, California State Relations, Wine Institute

“Many California farmers are already doing their part on climate change. AB 2377 provides the resources to scale that up. This bill will result in reduced greenhouse gas emissions from farmland and more carbon stored in agricultural soils.”— Judith Redmond, Co-owner, Full Belly Farm, Guinda, CA

“It is critical that California farmers who have historically had the least access to grants which incentivize climate resilient agriculture are given a fair share. AB 2377 sets aside funds specifically targeting under-served farmers of color to ensure they are not overlooked in the future as the state invests in agricultural climate solutions.”— Moretta Browne, Farmer Justice Fellow, Pesticide Action Network

“The reliable funding that AB 2377 provides for technical assistance providers to work with farmers on Climate Smart Agriculture projects will go a long way towards realizing the potential climate solutions available on our working lands.”— Karen Buhr, Executive Director, California Association of Resource Conservation Districts

“The funding for technical support for farmers that AB 2377 provides will improve access to the state’s Climate Smart Agriculture programs and also ensure high-quality, well-designed projects that maximize their many environmental and health benefits.” — Neil Edgar, Executive Director, California Compost Coalition

The bill passed through the Senate 39-0 and the Assembly 79-0 earlier this year.

Filed Under: AB 32 Implementation, California Policy, Cap and Trade, Dairy Methane, Farmer Resources, Featured - Sidebar, Healthy Soils, SWEEP Tagged With: AB 2377, Asm. Jacqui Irwin, climate smart agriculture, technical assistance

California Dairies Tackle Methane Emissions

September 10, 2018 by Jeanne Merrill Leave a Comment

Alternative Manure Management Projects Funded

Forty new dairies will receive a total of $21.6 million in Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP) grant awards, recently announced by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). This was the second round of funding for AMMP, which began in 2017 with 18 funded projects.

AMMP is the first climate change program in the country to provide financial assistance to dairy and other livestock producers to reduce potent methane emissions through non-digester practices. AMMP incentivizes manure management projects that reduces wet, anaerobic conditions of manure handling to dry manure practices, like solids separation, composting and pasture-based systems, including compost pack barns.

Funded projects

The vast majority of the funded projects are in the Central Valley with the greatest number of projects in Merced and Stanislaus counties with a combined 25 projects. Four projects with take place on the North coast: 3 in Sonoma County and 1 in Humboldt County.

The majority of dairy producers were funded to install manure solids separation (34 projects), reducing the amount of wet stored manure. Most projects will use more than one practice to improve their manure handling. Many combined their practices with composting of manure solids or open solar drying. Nine dairies will convert from flush (water-based) handling of manure to dry scrape. Four dairies will build new compost pack barns, which allow for cows to rest in open barns where their manure and urine are combined with dry bedding and rotated frequently to create compost.

What’s next?

The SB 1383 work groups are wrapping up their work. The three groups were tasked with recommending to the California Air Resources Board how the state can best meet its mandated target of a 40 percent reduction in dairy and livestock methane emissions by 2030. CalCAN participates in the non-digester (alternative manure management) work group.

Meanwhile, CDFA recently released a report to the legislature on its dairy methane programs. You can find that here. Among the report’s findings was that the average herd size for AMMP awarded operations was 1,943 head, compared to an average herd size of 7,430 head for operations that received dairy digester project funding from CDFA. In the coming months, CalCAN will be doing an analysis of the Dairy Methane programs at CDFA.

Filed Under: California Policy, Dairy Methane, Farmer Resources, Featured - Sidebar Tagged With: Alternative Manure Management Program, AMMP, sb 1383

Agriculture, Climate Change & the Next California Governor

September 6, 2018 by Jeanne Merrill 2 Comments

Farmers & Agriculture Experts
Tell New California Governor
It’s Time to Scale Up Climate Smart Agriculture

In a new report released today, farmer leaders and agriculture experts call on the next Governor of California to embrace sustainable agricultural solutions to climate change. With just a week leading up to the Global Climate Action Summit hosted in San Francisco, the report brings attention to the pressing need for state action to scale up transformative agricultural solutions to climate change.

The California Climate and Agriculture Network (CalCAN), a coalition of the state’s leading sustainable and organic agriculture organizations and farmer leaders, released the report entitled Climate Threats, Abundant Solutions: Climate Change and Agriculture Recommendations to the New California Governor. It offers policy recommendations to the new Governor, who will take office in January, to address the threat of climate change to the state’s agriculture.

“A changing climate puts the future of California agriculture and our food security on the line,” said Jeanne Merrill, Policy Director with CalCAN. “To keep farmers on the land, meet our climate goals and maintain our food security, the next Governor must scale up sustainable agricultural solutions to climate change.”

California’s recently released Fourth Climate Change Assessment found that climate change threatens to undermine California agriculture’s ability to produce key crops if the worst impacts of a changing climate are not avoided.

“More and more farmers are embracing a ‘climate smart’ approach to production,” said Rich Collins of Collins Farm and board chair of the Community Alliance with Family Farmers. “Restoring the role of agricultural soils as a sponge for both carbon and water will keep California farmers on the land for many generations to come.”

California farmers and ranchers produce more renewable energy on their farms than farmers in any other state. And they are among the first in the country to embrace Climate Smart Agriculture. Under Governor Brown’s leadership, a suite of programs was launched to save water and energy on farms, protect at-risk agricultural lands, increase carbon sinks in agricultural soils and reduce potent methane emissions from dairies and livestock operations.

Since 2014, the state has invested over $400 million in Climate Smart Agriculture programs, which have resulted in permanently protecting nearly 80,000 acres of at-risk farmland and funded 735 on-farm projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The suite of projects is estimated to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 42 million metric tons over the life of the projects and save more than 28 billion gallons of water. However, with 76,000 farms and ranches in a state that leads the country in vegetable, fruit, nut and dairy production, there is plenty of opportunity to scale up these solutions. The CalCAN report provides a comprehensive set of recommendations for actions the Governor can take to catalyze many powerful agricultural climate solutions.

“Our dairies want to adopt alternative manure practices that reduce methane, save water and help them meet environmental regulations,” said Mike Griffin with Organic Valley, a dairy farmer co-op. “But we need adequate resources to make the transition and reach the many dairy producers here on the North Coast and throughout the state.”

Filed Under: California Policy, Featured - Sidebar, Uncategorized

State Legislature Passes Climate Smart Agriculture Bill with Strong, Bi-Partisan Support

August 31, 2018 by Jeanne Merrill 1 Comment

This week the state Senate passed AB 2377 on a 39-0 vote. The bill now heads to Governor Brown’s desk. The legislation is authored by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks) and sponsored by the California Climate and Agriculture Network (CalCAN).

AB 2377 represents an important step forward in improving the delivery and reach of the state’s Climate Smart Agriculture programs. The bill is supported by a diverse group of 37 agriculture, conservation and environmental organizations and businesses.

What does AB 2377 do?

AB 2377 recognizes the integral role technical assistance plays in improving Climate Smart Agriculture program participation and project implementation. The bill requires that 5 percent of the annual budgets for the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP), Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP), and Healthy Soils Program are used to establish a technical assistance grant program at the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA).

CDFA can provide grants of up $100,000 annually, for up to three years, to technical assistance providers like Resource Conservation Districts, Cooperative Extension and nonprofits to support SWEEP, AMMP, and Healthy Soils farmer applicants. Under AB 2377, technical assistance includes program outreach, project design, application assistance, project implementation and reporting.

Importantly, AB 2377 prioritizes technical assistance for small and moderately-scaled farms and ranches and requires at least 25 percent of available technical assistance funds to be provided to socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers as defined by the Farmer Equity Act of 2017.

AB 2377 represents a significant investment in technical assistance for farmers, which will allow for much more robust support to develop and implement Climate Smart Agriculture projects in the state.

What’s Next?

The bill heads to Governor Jerry Brown’s desk for his signature. He has until the end of September to act on the bill. You can weigh in with Governor Brown by sending him a message about your support for AB 2377 by clicking here. Scroll to the bottom of the page to leave an email message and select either Food & Ag issues or AB 2377 in the “Please Choose Your Subject” drop-down menu.

The message is simple: “Governor Brown, your support for Climate Smart Agriculture is critical to the future of farming in California. I urge your support for AB 2377 (Irwin).”

Your calls, letters, emails and meetings with members have made all the difference in advancing AB 2377 with such strong support. Thank you!

Filed Under: California Policy, Cap and Trade, Dairy Methane, Farmer Resources, Featured - Sidebar, Healthy Soils, SWEEP Tagged With: AB 2377, climate smart agriculture, Jacqui Irwin, technical assistance

Action Alert: Call your Senator for California “Climate Smart” farmers and ranchers

August 23, 2018 by Jeanne Merrill Leave a Comment

Speak out for California’s “Climate Smart” farmers and ranchers:
Call your State Senator today!

The California Senate will soon vote on a bill that will improve farmer access to the state’s Climate Smart Agriculture programs.

Legislators pay attention to phone calls from their constituents. You can make a difference.

Can you call your state Senator today? It only takes a minute to leave a message like this:

“My name is _________ and I am calling from [town/city]. I’m calling to urge the Senator to vote for AB 2377.
The bill improves technical assistance for farmers doing Climate Smart Agricultural practices.”

AB 2377 provides a source of secure and ongoing funding for these technical services and will unleash the potential of farms across California for delivering climate solutions. Hear José Robles’ story here.

Find your Senator here and click through for their Capitol office phone number.

Let us know what you hear — drop us a line: info@calclimateag.org.

What Does AB 2377 Do?

AB 2377 requires that 5 percent, or no more than $5 million, of the annual budgets for three Climate Smart Agriculture Programs through the California Department of Agriculture—the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP), Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP), and Healthy Soils Program—be used to establish a Technical Assistance Fund.

Eligible applicants to the fund include Resource Conservation Districts, Cooperative Extension and nonprofits. They can receive up to $100,000 annually for up to three years to support farmer applicants to the programs with outreach, project design, application assistance, and project implementation.

Importantly, AB 2377 prioritizes technical assistance for small and moderately-scaled farms and ranches and requires at least 25 percent of the technical assistance funds be provided to socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, as defined by the Farmer Equity Act.

California’s Climate Smart Agriculture programs provide important financial resources to encourage farmers and ranchers to adopt farm management practices that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon sequestration to help meet the state’s 2030 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target.

For more information about the bill click here.

Filed Under: California Policy, Dairy Methane, Featured - Sidebar, Healthy Soils, SWEEP, Uncategorized

Final Budget Deal Restores Funding for Healthy Soils, SWEEP

June 26, 2018 by Jeanne Merrill Leave a Comment

One of CalCAN’s top priorities for the year was to restore funding to the Healthy Soils Program and the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP), two Climate Smart Agriculture programs that had their budgets eliminated last year.

We succeeded, with considerable effort by many of you, our coalition partners, who made the case to the Governor and to the legislature about the importance of these programs. But our collective success comes at much lower funding levels than what is needed to reach the majority of the state’s diverse farming community.

In a deal with Governor Brown, this week the legislature finalized a package of climate change investments funded by cap-and-trade revenue. Combined with funding in Proposition 68 that voters supported in June (more on this below), this deal improves upon last year’s massive cuts to our key programs.

CalCAN and our partners advocated for $25 million for Healthy Soils and $40 million for SWEEP. With the inclusion of Proposition 68 bond dollars, the programs will receive roughly half of what we believe is necessary for the programs based on farmer demand and scope of work. Disappointingly, the budgets of these past two years represent a shift away from transformative climate change programs.

Here are the final budgets for FY 2018 – 2019:

	Healthy Soils	SWEEP	Dairy Methane (AMMP and Digesters)
Prop 68	$9 million	$18 million	N/A
Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund	$5 million	$0	$99 million
TOTAL	$14 million	$18 million	$99 million

We also advocated for funding for a relatively new program aimed at reducing methane emissions from dairies and livestock operations. However, despite our calls for a specific funding allocation for the Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP), the legislature has yet again left it up to the discretion of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to determine the funding split between the two Dairy Methane programs it manages: AMMP and the Dairy Digester Research and Development Program. Without clear criteria for how to determine the funding split we remain concerned that despite high dairy producer demand for AMMP, the bulk of the Dairy Methane funds will likely go to digesters as they did last year.

The Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program (SALCP) is the only Climate Smart Agriculture Program with a continuous appropriation and it is not part of the annual budget process. Sixty percent of California’s cap-and-trade funds are continuously appropriated to several climate change programs including High Speed Rail, Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities, SALCP and others. The rest of the cap-and-trade funded climate change programs are decided annually in the budget process, including Healthy Soils and SWEEP.

$1.4 billion in climate investments

The package of annual climate change investments totals $1.4 billion with the majority of the funds going towards tail pipe emissions programs (e.g. zero emission cars, clean fleet incentives, etc.), AB 617 implementation (i.e. toxic air pollutant monitoring and technical assistance) and conventional agriculture funding asks. More on that below.

Here is the funding summary:

What were the budget dynamics this year?

New this year was Proposition 68, a natural resources bond measure that was approved by voters in June 2018. It provides $4 billion in multi-year funding for parks, water infrastructure, climate change adaptation work, state conservancies and more. The bond’s passage, which CalCAN supported, is important for reinvesting in natural and working lands programs, but it also impacted this year’s cap-and-trade budget debate.

There was a push by the administration and some in the legislature to limit natural and working lands climate change investments this year, arguing that the bond dollars were sufficient to cover these needs. However, the bond does not fund all the same programs as the climate change investment programs and cannot fund some important activities, including technical assistance. CalCAN and several of our allies in the natural resources community were able to argue for the inclusion of many of our programs in the final funding deal, but some programs did not receive cap-and-trade funding and must rely exclusively on one-time bond funding, including SWEEP.

Another important dynamic, like last year, was that Governor Brown and some members of the legislature remained committed to funding $300 million in conventional agriculture trade groups requests from the cap-and-trade budget. We reported on this last year when a deal was struck between ag trade groups, the administration and legislative leaders to support the cap-and-trade program extension in exchange for $300 million in cap-and-trade investments, ultimately leading to cuts to Healthy Soils and SWEEP. Those same dynamics hurt our efforts to restore funding for SWEEP this year and kept overall funding for our key programs low.

What’s next?

CalCAN staff will turn our attention to program implementation and outreach. In July, CDFA will release draft program guidelines for Healthy Soils and SWEEP. We anticipate the next call for proposals for the programs to go out in late fall, likely November. CDFA has open until June 28^th a request for proposals for new practices eligible for AMMP funding. Lastly, we anticipate a robust round of awards for the SALCP, which will be announced at the end of this year.

We are also turning our attention to the new Governor. CalCAN, with our advisors, is wrapping up our policy recommendations for the new Governor and will be reaching out to the campaigns this summer. Key among our priorities is robust funding for the Climate Smart Agriculture programs moving forward.

And finally, we will ask you again to keep raising your voices to educate the legislature and the next Governor about the powerful solutions to climate change that sustainable and organic agriculture have to offer.

Filed Under: California Policy, Cap and Trade, Dairy Methane, Farmer Resources, Farmland Protection, Featured - Sidebar, Healthy Soils, SALC Program News, SWEEP Tagged With: budget, Climate Investments, GGRF, Governor Brown, Prop 68

Assembly Passes CalCAN Bill, Budget Negotiations on Climate Change Investments Continues

June 1, 2018 by Jeanne Merrill Leave a Comment

CalCAN’s bill, AB 2377, passed unanimously on the Assembly floor this week on a 72-0 vote. The bill now heads to the state Senate. AB 2377 aims to improve farmer participation and impact of Climate Smart Agriculture programs by providing technical assistance for farmers and ranchers seeking to do projects under the programs.

Photo courtesy of USDA NRCS.

CalCAN developed the bill with Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, D-Thousand Oaks, and our partners after hearing loud and clear from farmers that the Climate Smart Agriculture programs require considerable project development and implementation work and the applications are complex and time consuming. But unlike the federal farm bill conservation programs, the state offers very little technical assistance for farmers who want participate in the Climate Smart Agriculture programs. AB 2377 aims to fix that. The bill is supported by over 20 agriculture and conservation groups.

The bill requires that 15 percent of the annual budgets for three Climate Smart Agriculture Programs—State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP), Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP), and Healthy Soils Program—are used to establish a technical assistance grant program. Resource Conservation Districts, Cooperative Extension and nonprofits can apply to technical assistance fund. They can receive up to $125,000 annually for up to three years to support farmer applicants to the programs with outreach, project design, application assistance, and project implementation.

Importantly, AB 2377 prioritizes technical assistance for small and moderately-scaled farms and ranches and requires at least 25 percent of the technical assistance funds available to be provided to socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, as defined by the Farmer Equity Act that passed last year.

We will keep you update on the bill’s progress and opportunities to voice your support. If you have any questions or comments about the bill, please email us at info@calclimateag.org.

Climate Change Investments Debated

This year, CalCAN and our partners have been advocating to restore funding to Healthy Soils Program and the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP). Funding for both programs was eliminated for the current fiscal year. More on that here.

To our disappointment, the funding for fiscal year 2018-19 proposed by the Governor, the Assembly and Senate for Healthy Soils and SWEEP fall well below what is needed for the programs. See the table below.

CalCAN is also advocating to decouple the budget for the Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP) from the other dairy methane program that funds anaerobic digesters. To date, AMMP’s funding level has been determined by CDFA which appears to base its AMMP funding decisions not on demands for the program, but on demands for dairy digester funding. We want to see an end to this competition in funding for the two program and instead have specific allocation of funding for AMMP, based on the program’s needs.

Another important part of this year’s budget debate is the prospect of additional funding for natural and working lands programs from Proposition 68, a bond measure that will go before the voters in June. This one-time funding could provide an important boost, but not a long-term funding fix for our key programs.

Climate Smart Agriculture Budget Proposals*

	Healthy Soils	SWEEP	Dairy Methane (AMMP and Digesters)
CalCAN Budget Asks	$25 million	$40 million	$40 million for AMMP
Assembly	$5 million	$5 million	$99 million (unspecified split between programs)
Senate	$0 (GGRF) $10 million (General Fund)	$0	$99 million (unspecified split between programs)
Governor	$5 million (GGRF) $9 million (Prop 68) Total = $14 million	$0 million (GGRF) $18 million (Prop 68) Total = $18 million	$99 million (unspecified split between programs)

The Assembly and Senate budget conference committees began meeting this week. Different than in recent history, it seems likely the June budget will include final funding levels for the climate change investment programs, including the Climate Smart Agriculture Programs.

Stay tuned for our updates in the coming weeks. In the meantime, please call your Assemblymember and Senator to urge their support for CalCAN’s budget asks. Click here for our recent call to action!

*GGRF is the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, the cap-and-trade funding that supports California’s Climate Change Investment programs.

Filed Under: California Policy, Cap and Trade, Dairy Methane, Farmer Resources, Featured - Sidebar, Healthy Soils, SB 32, SWEEP Tagged With: AB 2377, Climate Change Investments, Farmer Equity Act, GGRF, Irwin

The Facts About Working Lands Conservation in the House Draft Farm Bill

April 16, 2018 by Jeanne Merrill Leave a Comment

CalCAN is a member of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC). We occasionally repost their blogs on key federal policy issues. Last week, the House Agriculture Committee Chair released a draft farm bill. Below is NSAC’s analysis on the working lands conservation provisions in the House bill. NSAC has a series of important blog posts on the proposed farm bill, found here.

Washington, DC, April 13, 2018 – Yesterday, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway (R-TX) presented a draft farm bill to America’s farmers and ranchers that would eradicate the nation’s largest voluntary working lands conservation program, the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP).

Photo courtesy of USDA NRCS.

The Chairman’s press materials claim that the bill is prioritizing working lands conservation by “folding the best features of the Conservation Stewardship Program into the nation’s flagship incentive-based program for voluntary conservation – the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).” However, this is simply not true.

In total, the draft bill proposes to cut funding for working lands conservation programs by 25 percent ($4.3 billion) over five years and 20 percent ($7.1 billion) over 10 years, exclusive of final payments to existing CSP contracts. To put that figure in contrast, the 2014 Farm Bill cut the entire conservation title by $4 billion over 10 years.

CSP and EQIP are separate programs for a reason – they each have unique roles to play in enhancing the sustainability of American agriculture. CSP helps farmers and ranchers implement advanced conservation stewardship systems to address priority resource concerns on their land. EQIP, in contrast, is more of an “on-ramp” to working lands conservation, and provides cost-share assistance on a one-time basis to help producers implement specific conservation practices.

The draft bill proposes to add “stewardship contracts” into EQIP, with the purported intention of retaining the core elements of CSP. However, the proposal eliminates nearly all of these core elements – the comprehensive conservation approach, the inclusion of the entire farm in stewardship efforts, and the eligibility requirement to reach a decent environmental stewardship level before enrolling. Furthermore, the bill would cut funding for stewardship practices by as much as 100 percent by placing a ceiling, rather than a minimum floor, on the amount of total funding that must go to stewardship contracts within EQIP.

Adding insult to injury, in addition to eliminating incentives for the most effective conservation activities, the Chairman’s bill would also make infrastructure activities for concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) eligible for stewardship contracts for the first time, a practice currently prohibited by CSP.

The following chart outlines the devastating effect the Chairman’s draft bill would have on working lands conservation efforts by comparing current CSP standards (“CSP Best Features”) under current law with the draft bill’s plan for an “enhanced” EQIP:

“CSP Best Features”	Current Law	Conaway Farm Bill

Comprehensive Conservation Approach	YES	NO
Whole Farm Conservation Approach	YES	NO
Reach Good Environmental Stewardship Threshold to be Eligible	YES	NO
Designate at Least 5 Priority Resource Concerns	YES	Designates only 3
Payments for Active Management of Ongoing Conservation	YES	NO
Payments for Advanced Conservation Enhancements	YES	NO
Payments Based on Conservation Benefits	YES	NO
Supplemental Payments For Ag Diversification – Resource Conserving Crop Rotation	YES	NO
CAFO Infrastructure	INELIGIBLE	ELIGIBLE
Five Year Renewable Contracts with Continual Improvement	YES	NO Single 5-10 year contract
$40,000/year Payment Limitation	YES	Unnecessarily increased to $50,000
Five Year Funding (2019-2023)	$8.8 Billion	Anywhere from $0-$6.6 billion; a cut of 25-100%
Ten Year Funding (2019-2028)	$17.7 Billion	Anywhere from $0-$14.1 billion; a cut of 21-100%

To learn more about the current structure, terminology, and benefits of CSP, see NSAC’s online publications: Grassroots Guide to Federal Farm and Food Programs and Farmers’ Guide to CSP.

While there is indeed room to make improvements to CSP in the next farm bill, the wholesale elimination of the nation’s largest conservation program is the opposite of a thoughtful approach. Reforms to CSP should focus on increasing conservation benefits and program accessibility, and NSAC remains committed to working to protect and enhance CSP as the farm bill process moves forward.

America’s family farmers and ranchers rely on Congress to deliver a farm bill that gives them the best opportunities to feed their neighbors, earn a decent living, and keep their lands sustainable and healthy – this, sadly, is not that bill. NSAC urges both the House and the Senate to commit to bipartisan reforms in the 2018 Farm Bill, and to producing a bill that offers the best possible future for American agriculture.

In the following days, NSAC will publish a detailed analysis of the Chairman’s draft bill and its potential impact on working lands conservation programs on our blog.

Filed Under: Farmer Resources, Featured - Sidebar, Federal Policy Tagged With: CSP, EQIP, farm bill, House Agriculture Committee

Assemblymember Garcia and Other Legislators Request Reinstatement of Climate Funding for Critical Natural Resources Programs

March 16, 2018 by Jeanne Merrill Leave a Comment

CalCAN recently joined with Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia, chair of the Joint Committee on Climate Change Policies, to support his proposal to restore funding for the Healthy Soils and SWEEP programs as part of a larger funding request for climate investments in natural and working lands.

Read below for more on the proposal and take action! Please call or write to your Assemblymember asking them to sign on to proposal for $400 million for natural and working lands climate change investments.

The message is simple: “I am calling from my town/city. I would like my Assemblymember to support $400 million for natural and working lands climate investments. I support Assemblymember Garcia’s proposal.”

Find your Assemblymember here.

(SACRAMENTO, CA) — Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella), Chair of the Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies and about a dozen other California legislators submitted a letter requesting that critical natural resources programs receive funding in this year’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) budget allocations. Earlier today, they were joined by several advocacy groups to announce their list of priorities for the 2018-2019 GGRF Expenditure Plan.

“Following the success of our work with AB 398 (E. Garcia), which extended our state’s cap-and- trade program, it is essential that the legislature continues to ensure the equitable appropriation of these revenues into programs proven to provide significant health, environmental and economic benefits. I have made it a point to follow these Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund dollars through the budgeting process, until we see these investments allocated and at work advancing California communities, like those in my district, most impacted by pollution,” stated Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia.

The 2017-2018 expenditure plan for GGRF adopted in August 2017 appropriated $1.521 billion. That appropriation was made when only $811 million was technically in the GGRF account, and relied on estimates of auction revenue for the rest of the 2017-2018 auctions to fulfill the remainder of the expenditure plan. Auctions conducted since the expenditure plan was adopted have performed better than expected, resulting in an approximate surplus of $450 million for the 2017-2018 fiscal year.

The letter submitted to Budget subcommittee Chair Bloom requests that the Legislature appropriates $400 million from the GGRF for the following programs:

Urban Forestry Program under Cal Fire
Urban Greening Program under the California Natural Resources Agency
State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) under the California  Department of Food and Agriculture
Healthy Soils Program under the California Department of Food and Agriculture
Wetlands and Watershed Restoration Program under the California Department of Fish  and Wildlife
Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Programs under the Wildlife Conservation Board, California State Coastal Conservancy, California Coastal Commission, and San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission

These programs had previously been funded by GGRF but had not been included or were not fully represented in the current proposal.

“Greening our communities is essential to the health, wellness, and safety of Californian children and families. The Urban Greening program transforms local infrastructure to clean our air and water, create safe places for kids to play outside, and protect neighborhoods from severe weather events,” said Mary Creasman, California Director of Government Affairs for The Trust for Public Land. “Communities all over the state are feeling the impacts of fires and flood, particularly in low-income areas and communities of color. California should increase these programs, not cut them. We are committed to working with the Legislature to restore funds for these critical programs.”

“We can plan for a climate resilient future by funding natural resources programs with the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund,” said Assemblymember Marc Levine (D-Marin County). “Continued investment is the best way to sequester carbon, reduce GHG emissions, and fight climate change while realizing economic benefits for California.”

Assemblymember Garcia maintains that, “These climate investment tools wield immense power to transform our most vulnerable populations. Green infrastructure, like that supported through the Urban Greening and Urban Forestry grant programs, is a critical component of creating healthy and resilient communities. Last year, we were able to utilize a collective $4 million of these cap-and-trade dollars to break ground and set out to construct new local park projects in North Shore and El Centro. Creating green space, safe recreational opportunities where there was none.”

“Imperial County agriculture contributes more than $4.5 billion to the local economy. Likewise, the economies of the Coachella Valley and Blythe are also predominantly driven by this industry. Farmers rank amongst our state’s largest employers. For these reasons, we have been vehemently advocating for additional investments into resources like the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP). Upon our encouragement, several local farmers have already been able to take advantage of this assistance. In fact, this week, Ronald C. Leimgruber Farms will be celebrating the completion of an energy efficient conservation project that was supported by SWEEP funding,” commented Garcia. “By keeping these programs alive, we can help our vital agricultural industries meet our emission reduction targets while cleaning our air and improving our region’s overall health and prosperity.”

“Coming from the world’s leading region for sustainable agriculture practices, I’m proud to join this effort to fund the state’s environmentally responsible agriculture and forestry programs, said Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters). “We must do a better job of providing incentives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, runoff, and the use of water and soil additives in rural California. This initiative will help us protect our land and water.”

Jeanne Merrill, Policy Director with the California Climate and Agriculture Network added, “Turning our farms into carbon sinks is not only good for our climate, but good for the bottom line. The high demand for the Climate Smart Agriculture programs demonstrates that. Mr. Garcia’s proposal today acknowledges the importance of California farms and ranches in meeting our climate change goals.”

California ReLeaf Executive Director Cindy Blain noted, “Assembly Member Eduardo Garcia’s recognition of the critical role all natural resources — including community trees and green infrastructure — contribute to meeting the State’s GHG reduction goals and creating safer, healthier communities is reflected in this bold proposal. We applaud his vision and leadership.”

In addition to Eduardo Garcia, Assemblymembers Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters), Arambula (D- Fresno), Caballero (D-Salinas), Friedman (D-Glendale), Kalra (D-San Jose), Levine (D-Marin County), McCarty (D-Sacramento), Rubio (D-Baldwin Park), Stone (D-Monterey Bay), Talamantes Eggman (D-Stockton) and Wood (D-Healdsburg) signed on in support of this venture.

###

Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella) serves as the chairperson of the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife. He represents the 56th district, which comprises the cities and communities of Blythe, Brawley, Bermuda Dunes, Calexico, Calipatria, Cathedral City, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, El Centro, Holtville, Imperial, Indio, Mecca, Oasis, North Shore, Salton Sea, Thermal, Thousand Palms, and Westmorland.

What They Are Saying About It/Additional Stakeholder Statements:

Michelle Passero, The Nature Conservancy

“California cannot meet its climate goals without improved management and protection of our forests, farms, ranches, wetlands, and coastlines. Meaningful investments in these resources, will not only help us address climate change, but will also help urban and rural communities thrive and be more resilient in response to changing climate conditions and extreme weather events.”

Sarah Rose, Executive Director, Audubon California

“The Golden State’s natural and working lands are vital to our collective identity as Californians, and they’re also a key part of our strategy to address climate change. This proposed investment in wetlands, working farms, forests, and urban greenery will not only have immediate benefits for our people and our economy, but it will also provide greater resiliency as our climate changes.”

Laurie Wayburn, President, The Pacific Forest Trust

“Restoring and conserving our natural and working lands is essential to solving the climate crisis, and creating a resilient future. These investments help safeguard our water, protect our California heritage and ensure recreation for future generations. We fully endorse Mr. Garcia’s leadership in this critical effort.”

Filed Under: California Policy, Cap and Trade, Farmer Resources, Featured - Sidebar, Healthy Soils, SB 32, SWEEP Tagged With: Asm Friedman, Asm. Garcia, cap-and-trade, Carbon sinks, Expenditure plan, GGRF, Joint Committee on Climate Change Policies, natural and working lands

California Dairies Seek Alternatives

February 9, 2018 by Jeanne Merrill Leave a Comment

New Funding Supports Methane Reductions, Other Benefits

Seventeen dairies recently received the first round of funding from the new Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP). The program funds innovative manure management projects on dairy and livestock operations that reduce methane emissions and improve air and water quality. CalCAN advocated for the creation of the program as part of the state’s efforts to reduce short lived climate pollutants like methane.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) received 53 applications requesting nearly $30 million in AMMP funding, but only funded 17 projects for a little more than $9.6 million. The greatest number of projects were in the Central Valley with 14 projects awarded out of 45 applications from the region. Three projects out of six applications were funded on the North Coast. Neither of the two applications from Southern California were funded.

According to CDFA, the funded project types include:

35 percent of projects will improve the solid separation of manure solids and liquids (with some form of drying manure or composting)
35 percent of projects will convert from flush to scrape manure management (with some form of drying manure or composting)
18 percent of projects will have a combination of new practices
12 percent of projects will enhance their pasture-based practices (e.g. increased time on pasture or build a compost bedded pack barn)

The tentative timeline for the next round of funding is that CDFA will release the second request for proposals (RFP) in March with applications due in May. Awards will be announced in August. You can sign up for AMMP announcements from CDFA here.

Advisory Group Discusses Pasture-Based Dairying, AMMP Program

On February 5^th, the SB 1383 work group on “Fostering Markets for Non-Digester Projects to Reduce Methane Emissions on Dairies” met to discuss pasture-based strategies for methane reduction and to discuss AMMP. CalCAN’s Jeanne Merrill sits on the advisory group.

Three presenters reviewed pasture-based dairying, including work group member Cody Nicholson Stratton who dairies with his family in Humboldt County; Dr. Al Rotz with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture Research Service; and Dr. Randi Black with Cooperative Extension in Sonoma, Marin and Mendocino counties. The presenters discussed additional opportunities for pasture-based practices that could be incorporated into AMMP, among other topics. You can find their presentations here.

Following CDFA’s presentation on the recent AMMP awards, work group members and others who worked with dairy producers shared their experiences with completing AMMP applications. The work group then discussed recommendations for CDFA to improve the program over time. Those recommendations included:

Simplifying the application, going to a two-phased application process
Developing a process for adding new eligible practices to the program
Allowing for more time to apply

Those recommendations will be finalized by the work group before the March RFP.

CalCAN and several of our partners recently submitted comments to CDFA on the program. You can find our recommendations here.

The next meeting of the SB 1383 work group is tentatively scheduled for March 12^th. You can sign up for meeting announcements and updates from the subgroup here. The work group will submit final recommendations to the California Air Resources Board by mid-year.

Filed Under: AB 32 Implementation, Dairy Methane, Farmer Resources, Featured - Sidebar Tagged With: AMMP, dairy methane, sb 1383

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