Patrick Rosenstiel

Chairman, Trade Alliance to Promote Prosperity

St. Paul, Minn.

U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer is leading the way in North Dakota on realistic environmental solutions. The Senator played a critical role in negotiations that went into the Senate passing the Growing Climate Solutions Act.

North Dakota communities should be thankful for his leadership on bipartisan solutions. This is the first major piece of bipartisan legislation that breaks down barriers for farmers and ranchers to participate in voluntary carbon credit markets.

The GCSA is a market-driven approach and not mandated by the federal government. Foresters, land managers and ranchers who protect native habitats, wetlands and forests can qualify to participate in the marketplace–transactions verified in the GCSA. The Act establishes a USDA Certification that farmers work with to generate and sell their carbon credits.

Due to the pandemic and newly erected trade barriers, America’s farmers are facing near record-high fertilizer costs, supply chain issues and labor shortages. The last thing they need is government interference in the marketplace. The GSCA commits to including farmers and other environmental stakeholders on USDA’s Advisory Council.

The GCSA supports farmers during difficult times, which has helped the bill gain bipartisan support. Carbon capture practices will also increase the environment’s resiliency to drought, and other extreme weather events, providing greater security and stability to our ag systems and food supply chains.

TAPP stands with Senator Cramer’s efforts. America’s farmers are preserving our most precious resources.

More information is available at www.promote-trade.org.