On Earth Day last week, Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, along with Senator John Boozman, (R-Ark.), the committee’s Ranking Member, joined with Senator Mike Braun (R-Ind.) to announce the committee passage of the bipartisan Growing Climate Solutions Act of 2021. The legislation can now be considered by the full Senate. With the bill’s introduction and consideration before the committee, APGA was glad to be listed as a supporter, given this legislation's practical and common-sense approach to reducing the U.S.’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Many APGA members operate in rural areas, and the farmers in these communities often depend on natural gas. It is important to support their work to reduce GHG emissions. Plus, the bill would create a structure at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help farmers and foresters scale up environmentally friendly practices, including providing feedstock for renewable natural gas (RNG). Senator Braun, one of the champions for this legislation provides: “The Growing Climate Solutions Act will empower farmers and foresters to be rewarded for their sustainable, climate-smart practices. It’s a climate solution that farmers, industry, and those who care about sustaining our environment can get behind, and I’m proud that this bill has been supported by over 30 senators with a strong bipartisan consensus, and its approval by the Agriculture Committee today is another win for bipartisan climate solutions designed to benefit everyone.”
Along with APGA, over 70 organizations lent their names in support of the Growing Climate Solutions act. See the full list
here.
For questions on this article, please contact Stuart Saulters of APGA staff by phone at 202-544-1334 or by email at
ssaulters@apga.org.