National Association of Conservation Districts

National Association of Conservation Districts

NACD's mission is to serve conservation districts by providing national leadership and a unified voice for natural resource conservation.

Climate Change

Greenhouse gases (GHG) include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydroflurocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride. Greenhouse gases are primarily associated with the use of coal, oil and natural gas, but they can come from many different sources and all sectors of society–indeed, even respiration. Due to the dynamics of our ecosystem, it is difficult to know the exact impact these greenhouse gases will have on agricultural production, sea levels, the water supply and climate patterns in your specific area.

While agriculture emits less than seven percent of the national greenhouse gases, the ability to offset emissions through conservation practices and land management is a potential opportunity for agriculture and forestry operations. Through carbon sequestration or methane capture, agricultural and forestry operations can contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and potentially off-set other emissions.

Methods for sequestering carbon include no-till farming, use of cover crops, mulching of crop residue and crop rotations. Carbon can also be sequestered through sustainable forestry practices, in which carbon is stored by a combination of sustainable harvesting yields, reforestation and natural processes. Once carbon is sequestered, credits can be generated that have market value and can be sold or traded to industries needing to offset carbon emissions.

The work that conservation districts have been undertaking for years addresses green house gas emissions, but may not have been presented in these terms. USDA is highlighting the greenhouse gas benefits of Farm Bill conservation programs including carbon sequestration in the Conservation Reserve Program and creating new or refining exiting standards for the Grasslands Reserve Program, Wetlands Reserve Program, Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Conservation Stewardship Program and Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program.


Recent NACD Climate Change Activities


Conservation District Activities
Conservation districts are positioned to be at the forefront of carbon trading, and some states are already participating in this growing market. The Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts (AISWCD) partnered with numerous state agencies and interested organizations to initiate the Illinois Conservation and Climate Initiative (ICCI) in 2005. The Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts (OACD) is also participating in an emerging trading mechanism with a local rural electric cooperative. Additional details can be found in NACD’s feature article of the July/August 2008 edition of News and Views (see Resources below).

Districts are also utilizing green technologies in their building designs The Westmoreland Conservation District has used green technologies throughout their campus in Greensburg, Pa. More information on Westmoreland CD’s buildings can be found at http://www.wcdpa.com/. The East Maricopa Natural Resource Conservation District in Chandler, Arizona is in the process of planning a green building. Follow the progress of East Maricopa NRCD’s Earthship at http://www.emnrcd.org/.


Resources
Districts Engaging in Climate Change - July/August 2008 feature story in NACD's print publication News and Views. It is available in a 458 KB PDF file.

The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture, Land Resources, Water Resources, and Biodiversity in the U.S. - USDA recently released this report outlining the effects of climate change on agricultural systems and an expectation that the impacts will become more pronounced over the next several decades.

EPA’s National Water Program Strategy: Response to Climate Change - EPA’s report focuses on increased water pollution problems, extreme water related events, changes in the availability of drinking water supplies and impacts to coastal areas.

NRCS’s Carbon Management Evaluation Tool - Voluntary Reporting (COMET-VR) - COMET-VR is an online tool which allows producers to estimate changes in carbon sequestration, fertilizer and energy use to estimate their greenhouse gas footprint.


Partners
The Natural Resource Conservation Service - NRCS has additional information on soil carbon sequestration, U.S. Climate Change Policy; market based trading mechanisms and useful tools.

The Environmental Protection Agency - EPA has regulatory authority over many environmental pollutants and has completed assessments on the impact of climate change in a variety of natural resource areas.

United States Department of Agriculture - USDA’s main climate change office is located in the office of the Chief Economist. Additional information on USDA’s activities can be found on the USDA website.

The U.S. Forest Service - The U.S. Forest Service has been leading the way on ecosystem services, or valuing the larger benefits that forest provide such as carbon sequestration, wildlife habitat, open space, and water quality.

Chicago Climate Exchange - Conservation Districts work with the Chicago Climate Exchange, a voluntary carbon trading market.