Climate scientists increasingly recognize the critical role that nature can play in addressing greenhouse gas sequestration and reducing emissions. Natural solutions not only reduce the release of greenhouse gases (GHG) but also reverse damaging climate impacts already being felt. Nearly 40% of the reduction in GHG needed to keep global temperatures from exceeding 2 degrees Celsius indicated by the Paris Climate Accord can be achieved by how we protect, manage and restore land and water.

The Alliance is at the nexus of science, practice and policy for carbon sequestration and consists of a growing and dynamic group of farmers, foresters and other land managers, land trust professionals, scientists, policymakers, social impact investors and philanthropists from the Hudson Valley, New Jersey and New England. Participants include individuals from leading research farms—Abby Rockefeller and her team at Hudson Carbon at Old Mud Creek Farm, Stone Barns, Duke Farms, Glynwood, and Hudson Valley Farm Hub—along with Trustees of Reservations in Massachusetts, the Vermont Land Trust, and experts from Black Rock Forest, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, National Estuarine Research Reserve Association, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Marine Biological Laboratory, Cornell, and others.

In an exciting development, NECA partnered with the Council of State Governments East’s State Legislative Climate Alliance working group (CSG East) to co-host a virtual conference in April 2021 to help identify how Northeastern states can develop regional strategies to advance natural climate solutions. Legislative and executive leaders shared groundbreaking work that is already occurring in both the public and private sectors, helping to identify best practices related to carbon sequestration on natural and working lands, and seek opportunities to enhance regional communication, with consideration of potential actions that could lead to synergistic policies in member states.

The time for action is ripe, with the new federal administration committed to making American agriculture first in the world to achieve net-zero emissions. The NYS Climate Action Council (CAC) is working on implementation of the NY Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, and Scenic Hudson President Ned Sullivan is serving as an appointee to the governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Advisory Panel of the state Climate Action Council. A state-sponsored regenerative farming pilot project is underway in the Hudson Valley and Scenic Hudson is launching its own demonstration project. The current NYS budget crisis makes this a great opportunity to set the stage for incentives once state revenues rebound, and to work with the new federal administration to retool farm subsidies in support of regenerative agriculture.

Precedent also exists for coordinated action among Northeastern states to combat climate change via the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Grassroots activism and growing public demand is also turning the tide in favor of aggressive action against the existential threat of climate change. Strategies Work Together to Advance Climate Smart Agriculture at Multiple Levels Capitalizing on these opportunities, over the next three years Scenic Hudson will pursue the following initiatives with support from The New York Community Trust. Investment by NYCT will achieve significant leverage, since activities undertaken in each strategy will resonate and inform the others. For example, implementation of our regenerative agriculture demonstration areas will inform our work to enhance the technical assistance provided by Soil and Water Conservation Districts, as well as our recommendations for the federal Farm Bill. Our leadership of NECA will help refine best practices for carbon sequestration while creating avenues for their broader implementation in the Northeast. This is a powerful combination of policy and advocacy grounded in practical experience and backed by cutting-edge science. We welcome the NYCT as a partner as we pursue these initiatives.

We are also laying the groundwork for a Farm Bill that incorporates climate reform in our role convening the Northeast Land and Food Resiliency Network. This consortium of place-based groups will reach out to members of Congress to educate them about the importance of a strong regional food and land system, including the potential for climate solutions on natural and working lands. This includes members of NECA, as well as outreach to land trusts in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. The group has drafted a shared platform, and is mounting a campaign to educate congressional leaders and Biden administration appointees. These advocacy initiatives work in concert with NECA’s efforts to amplify the voice of the Northeast region with federal decision makers in the lead up to reauthorization of the Farm Bill.