BPC’s Energy Project Commends Bipartisan Senate Passage of the Growing Climate Solutions Act

Washington, DC – Today, former Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Heidi Heitkamp, co-chairs of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Farm and Forest Climate Solutions Task Force, hailed Senate passage of the Growing Climate Solutions Act of 2021.

“The bill provides USDA with clear bipartisan direction to help producers and forest landowners implement practices that capture carbon, reduce emissions, improve soil health, and make their operations more sustainable,” noted former Sen. Heitkamp.

The Growing Climate Solutions Act creates a certification program at USDA to bolster technical assistance and help address challenges that can prevent farmer and forest landowners from fully participating in voluntary environmental credit markets.

“America’s farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners can play a pivotal role in capturing carbon while creating another income stream for their operations. The 92-8 vote in the Senate indicates the strong support for helping producers access new carbon market opportunities,” former Sen. Chambliss said.

BPC’s Farm and Forest Carbon Solutions Task Force is made up of a diverse array of representatives from the agriculture, forestry, and conservation communities with expertise on land-based carbon sequestration and sustainable farming, ranching, and forest management. The task force will be releasing a comprehensive suite of policy recommendations later this year aimed at enhancing the role of American agriculture and forestry as valuable natural climate solutions that can provide new revenue streams to farmers, ranchers, and foresters.