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USDA Role in Supporting Decisions on Climate Change

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Title: USDA Role in Supporting Decisions on Climate Change


1
USDA Role in Supporting Decisions on Climate
Change
  • William Hohenstein
  • Global Change Program Office
  • January 10, 2005

2
Federal Government Climate Change Policy
Development
3
(No Transcript)
4
What is Decision Support?
  • the set of processes that includes
    interdisciplinary research, product development,
    communication, and operational services that
    provide timely and useful information to address
    challenges and questions confronting those who
    need to make policy and/or resource management
    decisionsthere is typically a premium on
    timeliness, resolution, comprehensiveness and
    effective communication of levels of scientific
    confidence and uncertainty.
  • - CCSP Strategic Plan, 2003

5
Decision SupportThree CCSP Elements
  • Scientific syntheses and assessments
  • Adaptive management for resources and
    infrastructure
  • Support for policymaking

6
Principal Guidelines for theCCSP Approach to
Decision Support
  • Analyses structured around specific questions
  • Early and continuing involvement of stakeholders
  • Explicit treatment of uncertainties
  • Transparent public review of analysis questions,
    methods, and draft results
  • Evaluate ongoing CCSP analyses and build on
    lessons learned

7
USDA Role
8
USDAs Climate Change Activities
  • Implement actions under USDAs conservation
    programs
  • Develop methods for estimating sources and sinks
    from agriculture and forestry
  • Support voluntary agreements with the private
    sector
  • MOU with the rural utilities
  • Agreement with the American Forest and Paper
    Association
  • Support the development of technologies and
    practices
  • Implement Climate Change Science Program
    Strategic Plan
  • Cooperate with the Department of State on
    bilateral agreements

9
Chief Economist
Member of USDA Global Change Taskforce
10
Roles of the USDA Agencies
  • ARS Assess potential impacts and
    vulnerabilities to agriculture identifying
    opportunities to respond and adapt develop
    technologies and practices to mitigate greenhouse
    gases
  • Forest Service Assess and manage potential
    impacts on forest productivity, health,
    disturbance processes, and species distributions
    improve the information on carbon cycling and
    inventories, provide landowner assistance.
  • CSREES Support the national UV-B monitoring
    network provides competitive grants to assess
    impacts oversee major soil carbon study.
  • NRCS Provide technical assistance to farmers
    help farmers plan and implement conservation
    systems maintain soil survey and associated
    databases.
  • ERS Assess the economics of mitigation options
    and impacts of climate change on well-being of
    global and US agricultural producers and
    consumers.
  • Others with roles FSA, RUS, International
    Forestry, FAS, NASS

11
The Program is based on several widely accepted
facts.
  • Weather extremes and climate variability are
    major limitations to production.
  • Land use and land-use change affect the
    environment, and vice-versa.
  • Crops are being produced in an atmosphere
    containing a constantly increasing concentration
    of CO2.
  • Crops and range plants are not alone in their
    exposure to changes in weather, climate, and CO2.
  • Increasing soil carbon has broad environmental
    benefits on and off the farm.

12
USDA Activities in the CCSP budget
In millions of dollars
USGCRP CCRI CCSP
Scientific Research 827 144 971
USDA 59 6 65
NASA Space-based Obs. 1,001 24 1,025
Total 1,828 168 1,996
Source Our Changing Planet 2004
13
Human Contributions and Responses Nutrient
management and precision agriculture
  • The U.S. emitted 20 MMTCE from fertilizer and
    manure land application
  • USDA/ARS is building a national network called
    GraceNET to evaluate alternative management
    practices

14
Decision Support Carbon dioxide affects
glyphosate efficacy in the field.
Ambient CO2
2 x CO2
15
Presidential directives to USDA
  • In February, 2002, the President directed
    Secretary Veneman to
  • Provide recommendations on targeted incentives
    for forest and agricultural sequestration of
    greenhouse gases
  • Develop accounting rules and guidelines for
    crediting carbon sequestration projects, in
    consultation with DOE and EPA

16
Greenhouse gases have been incorporated into USDA
Conservation Programs
  • Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
  • NRCS provided national guidance to make GHG a
    priority resource concern.
  • New practice standards for digesters announced in
    2003.
  • Tiered payments under EQIP will reward producers
    who improve nutrient management
  • Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
  • Secretary Veneman announced that USDA would
    target 500,000 acres (226,000 ha) of bottomland
    hardwoods under the CRP continuous sign-up
  • FSA providing points for carbon sequestration in
    rating CRP proposals through the Environmental
    Benefits Index (EBI).
  • Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG)
  • A competitive grants program administered by NRCS
  • Provides opportunities to accelerate the
    development, transfer and adoption of innovative
    technologies and approaches for agriculture.
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