Sponsors (5)
The bill directs federal grants and research support to scale nature-based, carbon-storing practices on agricultural lands—benefiting farmers, rural communities, researchers, and Indigenous stewardship—while increasing federal spending and risking uneven access for small producers and added administrative complexity.
Farmers and land managers: gain access to competitive federal grants to develop and scale on-farm practices that store carbon and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Rural residents and farm communities: likely experience improved soil health, reduced erosion, and lower runoff where funded practices are implemented.
Researchers and extension services: receive federal support to study, validate, and scale nature-based climate solutions on working lands, improving scientific knowledge and practical tools for farmers.
Small and resource-limited farmers: may be disadvantaged because applicants with greater research capacity or institutional support could be more competitive for grants, leaving smaller operations with less access.
Taxpayers: face increased federal spending to finance the new competitive grant programs (amount unspecified).
USDA administrators and local governments: may face administrative and programmatic challenges from broad or flexible definitions (including how to evaluate traditional ecological knowledge), complicating standardization and grant evaluation.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes competitive USDA research and extension grants for natural climate solutions on farms, grasslands, wetlands, and forests, including practices using traditional ecological knowledge.
Official title: Amend the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to provide for high-priority research and extension grants for natural climate solutions, and for other purposes.
Introduced June 9, 2026 by Edward John Markey · Last progress June 9, 2026
Authorizes competitive research and extension grants to support "natural climate solutions" that improve land management to store carbon and reduce greenhouse gas emissions on farms, grasslands, wetlands, and forests. Grants may fund practices that use traditional ecological knowledge, promote biodiversity and resilience, and reduce runoff. The change amends existing USDA statutory authority to explicitly add natural climate solutions as an eligible research and extension grant topic, enabling federal support for applied research and outreach to landowners, managers, and communities.