Location: Range Management Research
Project Number: 3050-12610-001-050-I
Project Type: Interagency Reimbursable Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2023
End Date: Sep 30, 2027
Objective:
Phase 1: 1. Build relationships with NRCS leadership to host locally relevant climate mitigation conversations.
2. Provide information to increase NRCS climate literacy on climate-smart practices.
3. Evaluate information gathered in 1&2 (above) to direct phase 2 and 3 activities of this project.
4. Evaluate changes in climate literacy derived from the Climate Mitigation Conversations.
5. Share findings with NRCS leadership and through the Climate Hub network.
Phase 2: 1. Identify and prioritize decision-support information and tools to increase adoption of climate-smart mitigation practices in agriculture and forestry.
2. Create a web-based clearinghouse with climate mitigation information relevant to implementation of NRCS conservation practices with climate mitigation benefits.
3. Develop technical guide material and a mitigation guide process for NRCS field staff and partners, relevant at local and state levels, and focused on conservation practices of greatest interest for climate mitigation.
4. Help NRCS planners and partners understand the science of common conservation practices, their potential to contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Phase 3: 1. Identify major existing and emerging NRCS mitigation practices, known benefits, uncertainties, and information gaps.
2. Build topical teams to conduct regional syntheses on available science on the applicability, benefits, and risks of the mitigation practices. Note: practices may be similar across regions, but we will clarify when and where benefits and uncertainties may vary.
3. Use topical teams to identify research needs and ongoing research to address major uncertainties and gaps in knowledge on key existing or emerging mitigation practices.
4. Develop and lead collaborative research based on topical team findings.
5. Integrate this knowledge as it becomes available into regional syntheses. Incorporate regional syntheses into mitigation technical guides and into mitigation climate conversations and other materials as it becomes available.
Approach:
Build relationships with NRCS leadership, including State Conservationists and NRCS state office points of contact to develop a regional framework to host conversations with farmers about regenerative conservation practices. Provide information to increase NRCS staff literacy on regenerative agriculture, with an emphasis on soil health, water conservation, and long-term agricultural production. Identify barriers to practice adoption, knowledge gaps, and conservation practice prioritization at state, and regional scales. Share findings with NRCS leadership and broadly through the USDA ARS Plains Area stakeholder network. Provide stakeholders with decision-support information and tools that increase understanding and adoption of regenerative conservation practices. Co-produce technical guide material for NRCS field staff and partners, relevant at local and state levels, and focused on regenerative conservation practices Assist NRCS planners and partners in understanding the underlying science of common regenerative conservation practices, their potential to provide other environmental or economic co-benefits, and appropriate context to maximize potential for implementation. Conduct regional syntheses on available science on the applicability, benefits, and risks of soil health, water conservation, and sustainable production practices. Identify research needs and ongoing research to address major uncertainties and gaps in knowledge on key existing or emerging regenerative agriculture practices.