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USDA Seeks Public Input on Climate Benefits of Conservation Practice Standards

Dan Agricultural Conservation Easement Program – Wetland Reserve Easements (ACEP-WRE), Climate Change, Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Forestry, Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), USDA-NRCS

conservation practice
Courtesy USDA/NRCS

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking public input on how to improve conservation practice standards to maximize climate change mitigation and adaptation benefits, as supported by peer-reviewed scientific literature.

Conservation practices providing climate benefits are delivered through existing USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) conservation programs popular with producers, like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), and Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) as well as NRCS technical assistance. 

Specifically, NRCS is asking for public input on improvements that can be made to conservation practice standards for:?

  • Mitigation: to maximize climate benefits for practice standards currently considered Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Mitigation Activities as well as on any other practices and innovations; and to support the agency’s estimation of the mitigation benefits associated with the practice standards; and?
  • Adaptation: to assist producers in adapting to and building resilience to current and future climate changes, such as seasonal temperature shifts and extremes, drought, increasing wildfire hazards, sea level rise, movement of invasive species and other issues.?

While NRCS welcomes comments on all practices through this request for information, as a priority, the agency is requesting input on several conservation practice standards that are at the beginning of their five-year review process, including: ?

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  • Waste Storage Facility;? 
  • Brush Management;? 
  • Herbaceous Weed Treatment;? 
  • Soil Carbon Amendment;? 
  • Prescribed Burning;? 
  • Roofs and Covers;? 
  • Fuel Break;? 
  • Wildlife Habitat Planting;? 
  • Drainage Water Management;? 
  • Nutrient Management;? 
  • Feed Management;? 
  • Waste Separation Facility;? 
  • Restoration of Rare or Declining Natural Communities; and??
  • Forest Stand Improvement.? 

The agency also asks for input for the following practices up for review but not currently on the Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Mitigation Activities list: 

  • Animal Mortality Facility;? 
  • Waste Facility Closure; and?
  • Denitrifying Bioreactor.?

NRCS will use information to identify and prioritize improvements that can be made to the conservation practice standards or associated technical guidance. NRCS will look to identify immediate changes that can be implemented for funding available for fiscal year 2026 and will continue to identify and adopt additional changes in future years.? 

Public comments should be submitted through this Federal Register notice (or through one of the methods listed below) by December 23, 2024.??

Comments may also be submitted through one of the following methods:??

  • Federal eRulemaking Portal:

Follow the online instructions for submitting comments?. 

  • Mail or Hand Delivery:
    • Address your comments to: Ms. Sara del Fierro, Climate Change Mitigation Lead, NRCS Climate Office, Office of the Chief, NRCS, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue, South Building, Room 4613, Washington, DC 20250.??

In your comment, please specify the Docket ID: NRCS-2024-0015.?