Joint NASA/USDA Workshop on Agricultural Decision Support System Carbon Management William Hohenstein USDA Global Change Program Office March 4, 2003

Overview of key elements of the Administration Climate Change plan Sets a goal of 18% improvement in GHG efficiency Roughly a reduction of 100 million tons of carbon Incentives for carbon sequestration Enhance conservation programs Identify new targeted incentives Promote private sector investments Transferrable credits for real reductions Substantially improve the GHG reduction registry Offers transferable credits for real reductions Create agreements with businesses and sectors Invest in new technologies; and Improve our scientific understanding

Improved access to remote information could support carbon management priorities Targeted incentives for carbon sequestration New accounting rules and guidelines National inventories of greenhouse gas fluxes from forest and agricultural lands Bilateral climate change agreements Mechanisms Climate Change Technology Program Climate Change Science Program

The President directed Secretary Veneman to: Provide recommendations on targeted incentives for forest and agricultural sequestration of greenhouse gases

The Secretary has broad discretion in identifying “targeted incentives” Incorporating GHG considerations in implementing Conservation Programs Outreach and technical assistance Guidance to states Market-based pilots and programs that directly target greenhouse gas offsets Promoting and leverage private sector financing of greenhouse gas offsets Measure and assess performance

The President directed Secretary Veneman to: Develop accounting rules and guidelines for crediting carbon sequestration projects, in consultation with DOE and EPA

Issues for USDA in developing accounting rules and guidelines Methodologies Defaults Site measurements Models Types of actions eligible Level of reporting Baselines Duration of credits (accounting for potential emissions in the future)

Stratification: divide area into zones of similar vegetation structure to reduce the variance of the field sample estimates Common Elements of Project Monitoring Sampling: use a combination of remote sensing and ground measurement Estimation: use appropriate statistical methods to estimate carbon stocks and stock changes Nowak 2000

Guidelines Forms and Software Technical Workshops – Jan 2003 Post-workshop comments – Feb 2003 Develop draft accounting rules and guidelines – Jan – July 2003 Interagency review of draft accounting rules and guidelines – Aug 2003 Revise draft accounting rules and guidelines – Sept Public comment on draft guidelines – Oct – Nov 2003 Issue revised accounting rules and guidelines based on comments – Jan 2004 Jan 04 Initiate work on forms – July 2003 Draft forms – Sept 2003 Government review of draft forms – Oct 2003 Revise draft forms – Nov 2003 Propose draft forms for public comment – Dec 2003 Develop and test software – Nov 2003 – June 2004 OMB review of reporting forms – April 2004 Final forms and software June 2004 June 04 Timeline for Preparation of Forestry and Agriculture Accounting Rules and Guidelines Jan 03

1999 Contribution to U.S. Emissions of Greenhouse Gases from Agriculture and Forests Fossil Fuel CO 2 81% Ag. N 2 O 5% Ag. CH 4 2% Other CO 2 2% Other N 2 O 2% Other CH 4 7 % HFC’s, PFC’s, SF 6 2 % Total Emissions: MMTCE Forests 70% Wood products 22% Carbon Sequestration: MMTCE Ag soils 8%

Inventory Sample Design Phase One – Remote Sensing to Stratify Forest Area 3,000,000 forest sample points, each equals 100 ha Phase Two – Ground Sampling of Forest Attributes 120,000 forest sample points, each equals 2200 ha Phase Three – Forest Health Monitoring 4,500 forest sample points, each equals 38,500 ha

Ownership of Carbon Stocks on U.S. Forest Land, 1997

Carbon Stock Changes on U.S. Forest Land by Owner Group, ( U.S. Total = 190 MMT/yr)

Committee on Climate Change Science and Technology Integration Chair: Secretary of Commerce,* Vice Chair: Secretary of Energy* Executive Director: OSTP Director Secretary of StateSecretary of the Interior Secretary of AgricultureSecretary of HHS EPA AdministratorSecretary of Transportation OMB DirectorSecretary of Defense NEC DirectorCEQ Chairman NASA AdministratorNSF Director Climate Change Science Program Office Director: DR. James Mahoney Membership:, DOC, DOE, DOS, DOI, USDA, HHS, EPA,OMB,NASA, NSF, DOD, OSTP, Smithsonian Climate Change Technology Program Department of Energy NCCTI Member working group Combined NSC, DPC, NEC Climate Change Policy Panel (Program Review) Interagency Working Group on Climate Change Science and Technology Chair: Deputy/Under Secretary of DOE,* Vice Chair: Deputy/Under Secretary of DOC* Secretary: OSTP AD for Science Members DS/US Level: DOS, DOT, DOI, USDA, HHS, DOD, EPA, CEQ, NEC, OMB, NASA, NSF Science and Technology Management Structure *Chair and Vice Chair of committee and working group rotate annually

Climate Change Technology Initiative Improved management practices Precision agriculture – e.g. application of fertilizer, nutrient management, water management Measurement and estimation technologies

Global Change Research Program and Climate Change Research Technology Development of new 10-year strategic plan Carbon cycle Water cycle Ecosystems Land use and land cover change Decision support Scenario development Observation systems

State Department pursuing bilateral agreements with 14 countries Australia Brazil Canada China CONCAUSA (Central American Countries) European Union India Italy Japan Korea Mexico New Zealand Russia South Africa Ukraine (on hold)