Washington D.C. – Today, Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry’s Subcommittee on Conservation, Climate, Forestry, and Natural Resources, released the following statement after the U.S. Senate passed the Growing Climate Solutions Act with bipartisan support:
“Whether it’s drought or wildfire, farmers and ranchers have always been on the front lines of extreme weather and climate change. In Colorado, they are also stewards of our land – pioneering innovative solutions to store more carbon in our soils, conserve water, and improve fish and wildlife habitat. The Growing Climate Solutions Act will allow our farmers and ranchers to scale up this work and be a part of the climate solution, making it more likely they will be able to pass their operation down to their kids and grandkids.”
The Growing Climate Solutions Act passed the Senate by a 92-8 vote. This legislation will break down barriers for farmers, ranchers, and foresters interested in participating in carbon markets so they can be rewarded for climate-smart practices.
Background
Bennet is a leader in the Senate on climate-smart agriculture and forestry. He helped to draft the 2018 Farm Bill, which put a greater emphasis on soil health and carbon sequestration. He has continued to develop forward-looking measures to combat the growing threat of climate change and build resilience. Earlier this year, he introduced the Outdoor Restoration Partnership Act to invest $60 billion in our forests and watersheds. He also joined the REPLANT Act to help the U.S. Forest Service plant 1.2 billion trees in national forests and create nearly 49,000 jobs over the next ten years. Last Congress, Bennet introduced legislation to establish the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Terra, a new research agency to invest in early stage research on innovative agricultural technologies that enhance environmental sustainability, export competitiveness, and crop resilience and released a discussion draft of legislation to establish a new tax credit for farmers and ranchers, state and local governments, and tribes to sequester carbon in agriculture, forestry, rangelands, and wetlands.
Last year, Bennet convened a Western Climate Resilience Roundtable to develop a collaborative, consensus-driven set of priorities for Western climate resilience. In February, Bennet announced a framework of Western climate resilience priorities that the group identified. This framework will help guide Bennet’s climate priorities in Congress.