Agricultural News
Oklahoma in International Report on Carbon Markets
Fri, 02 Mar 2012 14:38:20 CST
The voluntary carbon sequestration program run by the Oklahoma Conservation Commission is included in a new report on government programs and carbon markets. The publication by Ecosystem Marketplace titled Bringing it Home: Taking Stock of Government Engagement with the Voluntary Carbon Market was released this week. Oklahoma is one of three U.S. states included in the report alongside ten other countries including Australia, China, Thailand, and the Netherlands. The Commission describes the Oklahoma Carbon Program as another example of the successful Conservation Partnership in Oklahoma between the Oklahoma Conservation Commission, NRCS and Conservation Districts who work together to deliver voluntary programs that assist farmers and ranchers.
"We are thrilled to be included in the report," said Stacy Hansen, director of the carbon program. "Through this program, we promote healthy ecosystems rather than simply the air quality aspects of carbon sequestration. We also collect data on soil health and management systems that we hope will help agriculture producers cope with severe weather events and a changing climate." Another reason the program is so successful, said Hansen, is because of the Commission's ongoing support from EPA's Clean Water Act grants.
"With EPA's financial and technical support, we have one of the top water quality programs in the nation," said Hansen. "By overlapping the water quality program and the carbon program, we are able to expand and synergize environmental benefits beyond the resource management goals of individual programs. Such programmatic partnering is essential, especially in these times of budget cuts."
Since 2009, working with conservation districts, the program has certified over 30,000 acres of farmland for carbon credits equal to 20,300 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. All of the credits were purchased through an aggregator by the Western Farmers Electric Cooperative. According to Hansen, this program is another way the Conservation Commission is fulfilling its mission to conserve, protect and restore Oklahoma's natural resources through voluntary, incentive based programs.
"By working in collaboration with EPA, NRCS, conservation districts and other partners, on behalf of the citizens of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Carbon Program emphasizes the co- benefits that practices such as range management, no-till crop production and forestry management provide," Hansen said. "These benefits include protecting water quality, improving soil health, controlling soil erosion and providing wildlife habitat--and all of it is done through voluntary means without regulations. We are very excited about this program and we are glad to see voluntary, market based programs like this being recognized."
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