Rep. Panetta, bipartisan coalition introduce bill to expand access to ag conservation programs
Rep. Panetta, bipartisan coalition introduce bill to expand access to ag conservation programs Monterey Herald
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Rep. Jimmy Panetta Leads Bipartisan Coalition to Expand Access to Agricultural Conservation Programs
MONTEREY – Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Carmel Valley, has led a bipartisan coalition to reduce barriers that producers face in accessing agricultural conservation programs that would help farmers deal with the impacts of climate change.
“Agricultural producers are on the frontlines of our conservation efforts, yet too often are unable to access federal programs designed to assist their work as good stewards of our environment,” said Rep. Panetta in a press release. “I’m proud to author and introduce this bipartisan legislation that would waive certain limitations to expand the reach and effectiveness of these agriculture conservation programs. By empowering our farmers with the conservation support they need, we can better safeguard the bounty that they help provide our country.”
Current Limitations and the Need for Change
Current adjusted gross income limitations disproportionately limit those producers with high input costs from participating in certain United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) conservation-focused programs, according to the release. These limitations have not kept pace with inflation, resulting in barriers that reduce the overall impact of federal efforts to conserve the environment and empower farmers to mitigate the impact of climate change.
The Growing Access to Environmental Sustainability Act
The Growing Access to Environmental Sustainability Act (GATES Act) aims to address these barriers by exempting the adjusted gross income limitation for farms that derive 75% of their income from farming or related farming practices. This includes activities such as agri-tourism, direct-to-consumer marketing of agricultural products, sale of agricultural equipment owned by a person or entity, and other agriculture-related activities, as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture.
The GATES Act would apply to the following USDA programs:
- Conservation Reserve Program
- Environmental Quality Incentives Program
- Conservation Stewardship Program
About the USDA Programs
The Conservation Reserve Program pays a yearly rental payment to farmers in exchange for removing environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production and planting species that improve environmental quality.
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program, the flagship conservation program of the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the USDA, helps farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners integrate conservation into working lands.
The Conservation Stewardship Program helps agricultural producers maintain and improve their existing conservation systems and adopt additional conservation activities to address priority resource concerns.
Bipartisan Support for the GATES Act
Rep. Panetta (CA-19) was joined by Representatives John Duarte (CA-13), Yadira Caraveo (CO-08), David Rouzer (NC-07), Jim Costa (CA-21), Chuck Edwards (NC-11), and Lori Michelle Chavez-DeRemer (OR-5) in co-leading the Growing Access to Environmental Sustainability Act.
“Efforts like the GATES Act will help increase participation in conservation programs while keeping federal funding associated with these programs directed at those who are on the ground working in and improving our agricultural communities,” said Rep. Duarte in the release. “The GATES Act is especially impactful for California because the existing Adjusted Gross Income limitation of $900,000 for certain conservation programs disqualifies many hardworking farmers in the state due to their production of high-value agricultural products.”
Endorsements
The Growing Access to Environmental Sustainability Act is endorsed by the following organizations:
- Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance
- Western Growers
- California Farm Bureau
“Our members and their workers provide more than half of America’s fresh fruits, vegetables, and tree nuts and yet are unable to access conservation funding that would help them adjust to erratic weather patterns by using conservation tools readily available to farmers who grow corn, soybean, and other commodity crops,” said Western Growers President and CEO Dave Puglia in the release. “We thank the bipartisan coalition and we look forward to working together to ensure equitable access to this funding so our members can continue to be responsible stewards of the land for future generations.”
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
1. SDGs Addressed or Connected to the Issues Highlighted in the Article:
- SDG 2: Zero Hunger
- SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
- SDG 13: Climate Action
- SDG 15: Life on Land
2. Specific Targets Based on the Article’s Content:
- Target 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding, and other disasters, and that progressively improve land and soil quality.
- Target 12.4: By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water, and soil to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment.
- Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning.
- Target 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains, and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements.
3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied in the Article:
- Indicator 2.4.1: Proportion of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture.
- Indicator 12.4.1: Number of parties to international multilateral environmental agreements on hazardous waste, and other chemicals that meet their commitments and obligations in transmitting information as required by each relevant agreement.
- Indicator 13.2.1: Number of countries that have communicated the establishment or operationalization of an integrated policy/strategy/plan which increases their ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change, and foster climate resilience and low greenhouse gas emissions development in a manner that does not threaten food production.
- Indicator 15.1.1: Forest area as a proportion of total land area.
Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 2: Zero Hunger | Target 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding, and other disasters, and that progressively improve land and soil quality. | Indicator 2.4.1: Proportion of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture. |
| SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production | Target 12.4: By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water, and soil to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment. | Indicator 12.4.1: Number of parties to international multilateral environmental agreements on hazardous waste, and other chemicals that meet their commitments and obligations in transmitting information as required by each relevant agreement. |
| SDG 13: Climate Action | Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning. | Indicator 13.2.1: Number of countries that have communicated the establishment or operationalization of an integrated policy/strategy/plan which increases their ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change, and foster climate resilience and low greenhouse gas emissions development in a manner that does not threaten food production. |
| SDG 15: Life on Land | Target 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains, and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements. | Indicator 15.1.1: Forest area as a proportion of total land area. |
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Source: montereyherald.com
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