{"id":18726,"date":"2024-04-22T15:01:08","date_gmt":"2024-04-22T22:01:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/calcanstaging.kinsta.cloud\/?p=18726"},"modified":"2024-04-22T15:18:50","modified_gmt":"2024-04-22T22:18:50","slug":"state-sets-ambitious-targets-for-scaling-agricultural-climate-solutions-but-funding-gap-remains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/calclimateag.org\/mx\/state-sets-ambitious-targets-for-scaling-agricultural-climate-solutions-but-funding-gap-remains\/","title":{"rendered":"State Sets Ambitious Targets for Scaling Agricultural Climate Solutions, But Funding Gap Remains\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

California state agencies <\/span>released new targets today<\/span><\/a> for scaling nature-based climate solutions across California\u2019s diverse landscapes, including agricultural lands. The targets and the government agency actions to support them were developed as a requirement of <\/span>Assembly Bill 1757<\/span><\/a> (C. Garcia).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

California farmers and ranchers face growing climate-exacerbated threats from floods, wildfires, droughts, and pests, as well as threats from sprawling development. The targets released today aim to build agriculture\u2019s resilience and permanently protect farmland and rangeland from development threats. Healthy soils practices and organic systems, for example, improve water infiltration and holding capacity, increase pest and disease resistance by improving plant health and beneficial insect habitat, and reduce the need for fossil fuel-based pesticides and fertilizers.<\/span><\/p>\n

These statewide targets mark an important step forward in integrating the power of nature and agriculture into the state\u2019s climate mitigation and resilience strategy. Achieving these targets, however, will require greater investments in research, technical assistance, regulatory efficiency, workforce development, infrastructure, and incentives to give farmers, ranchers, and other land stewards the tools they need to scale these solutions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The governor and legislature can take immediate action to address that funding gap by passing a climate bond measure with at least $1 billion for food and farm resilience investments, as called for by the <\/span>Food and Farm Resilience Coalition<\/span><\/a> and its 130+ supporting organizations. This proposal includes investments that are explicitly connected to achieving the targets, such as $100 million for HSP, $150 million for farmland conservation and land access, and $30 million for organic transition. In the face of the state\u2019s budget deficit, a climate bond that accelerates agricultural climate solutions is vital for continuing to make investments in tackling the climate crisis.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Two other CalCAN-sponsored bills in play this year also offer strategies for natural and working lands: <\/span>AB 2313<\/span><\/a> (Bennett) would establish a cooperative equipment-sharing program to give small farmers access to equipment for healthy soils practices, and <\/span>SB 675<\/span><\/a> (Lim\u00f3n) would advance planning and infrastructure for prescribed grazing as a wildfire mitigation and recovery strategy.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe targets identified here reflect the total amount of collective climate action on California\u2019s lands that is needed, regardless of ownership, to enhance the health and resilience of communities and ecosystems under the accelerating threat of climate change and deliver on the Scoping Plan\u2019s carbon stock target. Healthy and resilient communities and ecosystems are a prerequisite to durable and sustainable carbon stocks. Meeting these long-term NBS climate targets will require time, effort, funding, and collaborative partnerships across many governments and sectors\u2026\u201d <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u2014 <\/span><\/i>California\u2019s Nature-Based Solutions Climate Targets (p. 6)<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

What are the targets?<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

Taken directly from the <\/span>report released today<\/span><\/a> (see pages 13-21), the following targets for the years 2030, 2038 and 2045 are included for Croplands, Grasslands, and for Wildfire Risk Reduction.<\/span><\/p>\n

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How did the targets get established, and are they enough?<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

The agencies developed these targets based on the best available data and science, recommendations from an <\/span>expert advisory committee<\/span><\/a> that met throughout 2023, and input from stakeholders, including CalCAN and <\/span>a group<\/span><\/a> of agricultural, climate, and conservation organizations. The agencies also considered the following:<\/span><\/p>\n