USDA Role in Supporting Decisions on Climate Change

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USDA Role in Supporting Decisions on Climate
Change

• William Hohenstein
• Global Change Program Office
• January 10, 2005

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Federal Government Climate Change Policy
Development
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(No Transcript)
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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

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Decision SupportThree CCSP Elements

• Scientific syntheses and assessments
• Adaptive management for resources and
  infrastructure
• Support for policymaking

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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

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USDA Role
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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

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Chief Economist
Member of USDA Global Change Taskforce
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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

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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.

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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
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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

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Decision Support Carbon dioxide affects
glyphosate efficacy in the field.
Ambient CO2
2 x CO2
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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

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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.