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Senators Support Bill to Add Ag Offsets to Climate Change Bill
USAgNet - 11/06/2009

U.S. Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa joined with five other senators to introduce the Clean Energy Partnership Act, which would add strong agricultural components to the Kerry-Boxer climate change bill that is currently being considered by the Senate. As it stands, the Kerry-Boxer bill only has a “placeholder” for the agriculture offsets and incentives provisions. Today’s legislation would provide a foundation for the agricultural provisions that would be included in the energy and climate change bill that Leader Reid brings to the Senate floor. Co-sponsors of the bill include Senators Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, Max Baucus of Montana, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Mark Begich of Alaska.

“We have a responsibility to enact a comprehensive clean American energy bill in this Congress, and that bill should include financial incentives for those in agriculture and forestry who engage in carbon capture, as well as other practices that reduce net greenhouse gas emissions,” said Harkin. “Today’s legislation includes four strong, carefully crafted provisions that give farmers and ranchers the opportunity to benefit from offsets and early actions under a program run by the USDA. It also includes low-carbon energy provisions that will be essential for continuing reductions of greenhouse gas emissions from our energy systems in the years ahead, as well as research into additional ways to sequester carbon in agriculture and on agricultural adaptation to maintain productivity as weather patterns change.

“I look forward to working with Chairman Lincoln and the Senate Agriculture Committee, as well as all of my colleagues in the Senate, in representing our nation’s agriculture and forestry sectors as the Senate considers energy and climate legislation. I hope the legislation we are introducing today will be helpful in that effort."

Among its provisions, today’s legislation would:

-- Ensure that agriculture and forestry offsets are authorized and run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

-- Provide incentives to reward early actors or support additional agriculture and forestry actions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions

-- Provide funding to support low carbon energy activities authorized in the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008, the farm bill

-- Provide funding to support climate-related research in agriculture, including research on adaptation to changing weather patterns

Harkin is a senior member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. As chairman of the Committee, he held a hearing entitled “Global Warming Legislation: Carbon Markets and Producer Groups” on September 9, 2009 and another on July 22, 2009 entitled “The Role of Agriculture and Forestry in Global Warming Legislation.” Harkin also led the effort to shape the conservation and energy titles of the 2008 farm bill.