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Oregon adopted new policies in 2023 that will fund and acknowledge the value of soil health and carbon sequestration practices. Other states and regions have developed policies as well that may help promote carbon sequestration programs and outcomes.
Oregon Climate Action Commission Policy
The Oregon Climate Action Commission (formerly the Oregon Global Warming\Commission) adopted the 2021 Natural and Working Lands Proposal for natural climate solutions on natural and working lands. That proposal, following input from advisory and technical committees, was developed into a policy package “A Roadmap to Enhance Carbon Capture and Storage and Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions on Oregon’s Natural and Working Lands.” That report will be linked here when available by the end of September.
The Commission has developed a draft workplan memo to proceed with work on this program. You can listen to the commission meeting discussion of the work plan here. The Oregon Association of Conservation Districts is one of the members of a group who developed comments to the Commission in regard to the proposed work plan.
The Oregon Legislature approved a package of climate-related bills as HB 3409 in June of 2023. Sections 53-66 of the bill are the “State Policy for Natural Climate Solutions.
Outline of the “State Policy for Natural Climate Solutions”
· Establishes the concept of natural climate solutions as state policy
· Establishes a permanent fund for “natural climate solutions” on natural and working lands with an initial investment of $10 million: Natural & Working Lands Fund
· Defines natural and working lands, recognizing private lands, equating to about 10
million acres of privately managed forests and farms and coastal habitats as
important to mitigating climate change
· Encourages carbon sequestration – removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere or prevents its release once it has been stored
· Provides funds to ensure conservation, restoration, and improved management of lands and waters
· Recognizes ecosystem sequestration needs for agriculture and grazing lands, forestlands, and “blue carbon” from tidal and wetland resources
· Creates a process to engage tribes
· Requires state to develop a natural and working land carbon inventory
· Renames the Oregon Global Warming Commission as the Oregon Climate
Action Commission, expands its membership, scope and charge
· Identifies a study of workforce and training programs necessary to support
natural climate solutions
· Establishes an advisory committee to advance the bill’s initiatives
· Requires development of goals for including natural and working lands in the state’s climate program by the year 2025
Natural and Working Lands Fund
The fund will be continuously appropriated to the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) agency and then distributed to:
· The Agriculture Natural Climate Solutions Fund – Oregon Department of Agriculture
· The Forestry Natural Climate Solutions Fund – Oregon Department of Forestry
· The Fish and Wildlife Natural Climate Solutions Fund – Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
· The Watershed Natural Climate Solutions Fund – Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board
The Oregon Climate Action Commission will determine annually how much money to allocate to each of the four funds, based on the ability of each agency to carry out programs for this need. OCAC will consult with the four agencies in the allocation.
Funding existing programs is a priority as is using funds to secure federal or
other matches. A summary of the uses of the fund will be reported to the legislature.
Adopted Funding Plan for the NWL Fund
During the 2024 legislative session, a presentation was made to the Ways and
Means Subcommittee on Natural Resources at this link and the funding plan was
adopted by the legislature. This plan outlines the funding that will be provided to
the four natural resource agencies to fund grants under the program.
Funding for Technical Assistance from OWEB
Although the first round of applications is due April 2024, this will be an ongoing
program. Here is a Recorded webinar about the Application for Technical Assistance Grants.
And the Application Template as well as Example Projects.
Other features of HB 3409:
Baseline Inventory and Goals: The bill also requires the establishment of a baseline inventory and requires that by January 1, 2025, the Department of Energy and the OCAC, in consultation with the 4 agencies named above, establish nonbinding biological carbon sequestration and carbon storage goals for Oregon’s natural and working lands. The inventory will be updated and reported to the Oregon Legislature by the 1st of December in every even-numbered year. EPA provides a state inventory and projection tool that could be used in this analysis. It is available to the public. Download the State Inventory and Projection Tool | US EPA
Workforce and Training Programs: The Department of Energy, in coordination with the OCAC, will study the necessary workforce and training programs needed to support the adoption of natural climate solutions on natural and working lands. An RFQ has been released; results are to be provided to the legislature by September 15, 2024.
Advisory Committee for the Program
OCAC will appoint an advisory committee of at least 15 members representing the following interests:
The commission may appoint additional members as needed to provide additional expertise or represent other interests.
1) 1 member with expertise in tribal culture, customs, and government
2) 1 local government representative from a county whose primary economic activity is derived from the agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industries
3) 1 member with expertise in urban forestry or parks management
4) 3 members with experience in forestry or forest products, including one member who is a private forest landowner with less than 5,000 acres of forestland
5) 2 members with expertise in agriculture, including one member who owns a small family farming operation
6) 1 member with expertise in livestock
7) 1 member with expertise in blue carbon (wetlands and coastal habitats)
8) 1 member with expertise in environmental justice
9) 2 members with expertise in conservation or environmental management
10) 2 members with expertise in landowner technical assistance
OCAC Work Plan
The OCAC has proposed a work plan for the Natural and Working Lands Program at the August 2023 meeting. Page 5 has a chart showing tasks and timeline for the natural and working lands program.
The Oregon Agricultural Heritage Program (OAHP) is a program housed within the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) agency. The program provides voluntary incentives to farmers and ranchers to support practices that maintain or enhance both agriculture and natural resources such as fish and wildlife habitat on agricultural lands. See also the OAHP study “Review and Feasibility Determination of Methodologies for Valuing Agricultural
Conservation Management Actions” to be updated the fall of 2023.
OWEB’s Water & Climate Committee meets quarterly (schedule at website).
Several documents at the OWEB website are important to climate mitigation and adaptation work:
Washington’s program includes greenhouse gas emission reductions set in state law And a marketing component, “Cap and Invest”. The Cap-and-Invest Program rule defines operation of the program. Quarterly auctions spur investment.
Washington Policy for Carbon Sequestration on Natural and Working Lands – WA Department of Natural Resources developed as the basis of it program the Natural and Working Lands Carbon Inventories and Incentive Programs.California’s natural and working lands –forests, rangelands, urban green spaces, wetlands, and farms– underpin the State’s water supply and support clean air, wildlife habitat, and local and regional economies. They are also the frontiers of climate change and are often the first to experience the impacts of climate change.
The Natural and Working Lands Implementation Plan evaluates implementation and identifies long term goals for resiliency. See also Healthy Soils Program and Sustainable Agriculture Lands Conservation Program.
Washington’s sustainable Farms and Fields program created in 2020 makes it easier and more affordable for farmers and ranchers to complete projects that increase carbon sequestration and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Agriculture Conservation Commission is working with the Department of Agriculture, WA State University and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in development of the program. Program fact sheets in English.
Wisconsin’s plan for farm and forestry climate practices and sequestration begins on page 54 of the plan.
The NM Healthy Soil Initiative was enacted in the spring of 2019. The NM Healthy Soil Working Group continues to advocate for expanded resources and additional funds for the Healthy Soil Program. HB 89 “The Healthy Soil Tax Refund Contribution Option” passed in April 2021 enabling any New Mexico tax paying resident who qualifies for a refund on their personal income tax return to voluntarily donate all or part of their refund to the Healthy Soil Program.
New York recognizes the importance that current and future use of natural and working lands has for mitigation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and carbon sequestration and storage, including protecting high-value lands through acquisition and avoiding conversion. The Scoping Plan is New York’s action plan for achieving the directives of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act and includes recommendations for state-wide action.
Maryland became the first state to approve a loan guarantee through its Water Quality State Revolving Fund (SRF) to finance “natural climate solutions.” The loan guarantee was made possible by legislation enacted in 2021 to expand the authorized uses of the guarantee authority under the state’s SRF program.
Assembly bill 1757 requires the California Natural Resources Agency to set up an ambitious range of targets for nature-based climate solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions to support state carbon goals. The bill would provide an increased climate program for natural and working lands.
This document speaks to policy work underway in New Jersey
Healthy soils legislation at state levels is not new to the U.S. There are some 29 States with passed or pending legislation, including 10 that have already passed legislation. These state programs reflect bipartisan support.