CLEAN AIR TASK FORCE: SUMMARY OF 2023 FARM BILL RECOMMENDATIONS

The Clean Air Task Force proposes several reforms to the 2023 Farm Bill to improve the quantification and procurement of carbon sequestration, facilitate rural clean energy transmission, and reduce livestock methane emissions. Key recommendations include streamlining the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) funding processes, establishing carbon cooperatives, and investing $350 million to $500 million in enteric methane research.

• The Clean Air Task Force recommends that the USDA streamline the delivery of the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) by reducing negotiation times for Programmatic Partnership Agreements (PPAs), enabling private/public implementation models, and prioritizing carbon benefits over non-USDA matches in application rankings.
• To reduce uncertainty in greenhouse gas (GHG) measurements, the USDA should establish a Science Advisory Board to improve estimation models and offer financial bonuses to producers who allow monitoring of the GHG impacts of agricultural practices.
• The document proposes the use of reverse auctions for carbon procurement to identify the lowest cost per ton for sequestering carbon or reducing GHG emissions, which would help the USDA gain experience with innovative practices and monitoring methods.
• The USDA is encouraged to facilitate 'carbon cooperatives' through the RCPP or the Marketing Assistance Loan (MAL) program to reduce transaction costs and risks for producers implementing large-scale carbon sequestering projects.
• Regarding biomass, the USDA should conduct an 18-month study on the carbon and ecosystem impacts of biomass removal from forest and agricultural systems and perform a feasibility study on biomass traceability from field to satellite.
• Forest management recommendations include requiring federally funded reforestation to use climate-resilient tree species, managing woody residue to reduce emissions, and launching a pilot program to restore sagebrush in Pinyon-pine juniper forests to improve surface albedo.
• To unlock rural clean energy, the USDA should incentivize the construction of transmission lines on existing rights of way and use the Extension Service to inform landowners about renewable energy development opportunities.
• The document calls for $350 million to $500 million over five years to reduce enteric methane emissions from livestock, specifically through basic and applied research, the creation of public fee-for-service testing facilities, and the development of low-cost measurement technology.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (2023). CLEAN AIR TASK FORCE: SUMMARY OF 2023 FARM BILL RECOMMENDATIONS. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/30082636/catf-farm-bill-recommendations-march-2023.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. CLEAN AIR TASK FORCE: SUMMARY OF 2023 FARM BILL RECOMMENDATIONS. 2023. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/30082636/catf-farm-bill-recommendations-march-2023.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=CLEAN AIR TASK FORCE: SUMMARY OF 2023 FARM BILL RECOMMENDATIONS |date=2023 |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/30082636/catf-farm-bill-recommendations-march-2023.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{cleanairtaskforce2023clean, author = {{Clean Air Task Force}}, title = {{CLEAN AIR TASK FORCE: SUMMARY OF 2023 FARM BILL RECOMMENDATIONS}}, publisher = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2023}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/30082636/catf-farm-bill-recommendations-march-2023.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }