[PCA] NEWS: USDA Announces New Office of Ecosystem Services and Markets

[Olivia Kwong]

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USDA ANNOUNCES NEW OFFICE OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AND MARKETS

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18, 2008--Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer today
announced the intention to establish a new USDA Office of Ecosystem
Services and Markets and the creation of a federal government-wide
Conservation and Land Management Environmental Services Board to assist
the Secretary of Agriculture in the development of new technical
guidelines and science-based methods to assess environmental service
benefits which will in turn promote markets for ecosystem services
including carbon trading to mitigate climate change.

"Our Nation's farms, ranches and forests provide goods and services that
are vital to society - natural assets we call "ecosystem services," said
Schafer. "The Office of Ecosystem Services and Markets will enable
America's agriculture producers to better compete, trade their services
around the world, and make significant contributions to help improve the
environment."

Agriculture producers provide many ecosystem services which have
historically been viewed as free benefits to society - clean water and
air, wildlife habitat, carbon storage, and scenic landscapes. Lacking a
formal structure to market these services, farmers, ranchers and forest
landowners are not generally compensated for providing these critical
public benefits. Market-based approaches to conservation are proven to be
a cost-effective method to achieve environmental goals and sustain working
and natural landscapes. Without financial incentives, these ecosystem
services may be lost as privately-owned lands are sold or converted to
development.

Secretary Schafer intends to name Sally Collins Director of the Office of
Ecosystem Services and Markets (OESM). Organizationally, OESM will be
located within the Office of the Secretary providing direct access to the
Secretary. Collins will assume this position after serving as Associate
Chief of the USDA Forest Service for the past 8 years, where she pioneered
concepts for ecosystem services and markets as part of that agency's
sustainable land management mission.

OESM will provide administrative and technical assistance to the Secretary
in developing the uniform guidelines and tools needed to create and expand
markets for these vital ecosystem services and will support the work of
the Conservation and Land Management Environmental Services Board. As
directed by the authorizing legislation the first ecosystem services to be
examined will be carbon sequestration. The Office of Ecosystem Services
and Markets and the Conservation and Land Management Environmental
Services Board will be established to implement actions authorized by the
2008 Farm Bill.

The Conservation and Land Management Environmental Services Board will be
comprised of the Secretaries of Interior, Energy, Commerce, 
Transportation, and Defense; the Chairman of the Council of Economic
Advisors; the Director of the White House Office of Science and 
Technology; the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; 
and, the Commander of the Army Corps of Engineers. The Secretary of 
Agriculture will Chair the Board. The Chairman of the White House Council 
on Environmental Quality and the Administrator of Office of Information 
and Regulatory Affairs will serve as vice-chairs.

Nominations will be sought in the near future for a federally chartered
public Advisory Committee to advise the Board. The Advisory Committee will
include farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners, Tribal representatives,
as well as representatives from State natural resource and environmental
agencies, agriculture departments, and conservation and environmental
organizations.