SACRAMENTO – CalCAN is working with farmer leaders and multiple coalitions this year to advocate for funding for agricultural climate solutions in the next fiscal year’s budget.
We teamed up with nearly 60 organizations in an urban-rural alliance to promote the Healthy Soils initiative through investment in a trio of programs – the Healthy Soils Program, the Alternative Manure Management Program, and CalRecycle’s Organic Waste Diversion Program.
CalCAN also joined an effort – led by Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia and Senators Henry Stern and Ben Allen and backed by over 100 organizations – calling for $400 million in investments in natural and working lands climate solutions, including funding for Healthy Soils, SWEEP, and adaptation tools for farmers (under AB 409).
Different than last year, we are seeing increased interest from the Governor and the legislature in investing in multiple-benefit Climate Smart Agriculture programs, with the Senate offering the best investment plan for our priorities. Here is a summary of the proposed climate investment plans as it relates to our budget asks:
*CalCAN is advocating for the inclusion of the adaptation tools funding in the proposed adaptation funding by the Senate and Assembly.
Getting underway this week is the budget conference committee where differences between the Assembly and Senate budgets will be hashed out. We will keep you updated as the budget leaders move to finalize the plan by June 15th.
Thank you for all your phones, emails and messages to your Assembly and Senate members. It is making a real difference in these negotiations!
