Sec. 202. Regional hubs for risk adaptation and mitigation to climate change
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Title IV of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 is amended by inserting before section 404 ( 7 U.S.C. 7624 ) the following: The Secretary shall establish a national network of regional hubs for risk adaptation and mitigation to climate change to provide to farmers, ranchers, forest landowners, and other agricultural and natural resource managers— science-based, region-specific, cost-effective, and practical information and program support for science-informed decisionmaking in light of the increased costs, opportunities, risks, and vulnerabilities associated with a changing climate; and access to assistance to implement that decisionmaking.
An entity shall be eligible to be selected as a regional hub under subsection
(a)if the entity is any office of the Agricultural Research Service, the Forest Service, or any other agency of the Department of Agriculture that the Secretary determines to be appropriate. The network established under subsection
(a)shall be designated and administered jointly by the Agricultural Research Service and the Forest Service, in partnership with other Federal agencies, including the following: Within the Department of Agriculture, the following agencies: The Natural Resources Conservation Service. The Farm Service Agency. The Risk Management Agency. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The Department of the Interior. The Department of Energy. The Environmental Protection Agency. The United States Geological Survey. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Such other Federal agencies as the Secretary determines to be appropriate. The regional hubs established under subsection
(a)shall work in close partnership with other stakeholders and partners, including— colleges and universities (as defined in section 1404 of the Food and Agriculture Act of 1977 ( 7 U.S.C. 3103 )); cooperative extension services (as defined in that section); State agricultural experiment stations (as defined in that section); private entities; State, local, and regional governments; Indian Tribes; agriculture and commodity organizations; nonprofit and community-based organizations; and other partners, as determined by the Secretary. A regional hub established under subsection
(a)shall— offer tools, strategic management options, and technical support to farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners to help those farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners mitigate and adapt to climate change; direct farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners to Federal agencies that can provide program support to enable those farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners to implement science-informed management practices that address climate change; determine how climate and weather projections will impact the agricultural and forestry sectors; provide periodic regional assessments of risk and vulnerability in the agricultural and forestry sectors— to help farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners better understand the potential direct and indirect impacts of climate change; and to inform the United States Global Change Research Program established under section 103 of the Global Change Research Act of 1990 ( 15 U.S.C. 2933 ); provide to farmers, ranchers, forest landowners, and rural communities outreach, education, and extension on science-based risk management through partnerships with the land-grant colleges and universities (as defined in section 1404 of the Food and Agriculture Act of 1977 ( 7 U.S.C. 3103 )), cooperative extension services (as defined in that section), and other entities; work with any cooperative extension services (as defined in section 1404 of the Food and Agriculture Act of 1977 ( 7 U.S.C. 3103 )), conservation districts, and nongovernmental organizations involved in farmer outreach in the region served by the hub to assist producers in developing business plans and conservation plans that take into account emerging climate risk science with respect to crop, production, and conservation system changes that will help producers adapt to a changing climate; and establish, in partnership with programs and projects carried out under subtitle B of title XVI of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 ( 7 U.S.C. 5801 et seq.), additional partnerships with farmers and nonprofit and community-based organizations to conduct applied on-farm research on climate change. A regional hub established under subsection
(a)shall prioritize research and data collection activities in the following areas: Improved measurement and monitoring of— soil organic carbon sequestration; and total net greenhouse gas impacts of different farming systems and practices. Lifecycle analysis for total net greenhouse gas emissions related to— alternative cropping systems; alternative livestock production systems; integrated cropping-livestock systems; alternative biofuel crop production systems and biofuel end uses; alternative agroforestry practices and systems; and alternative forestry management systems. Research and education on— optimal soil health practices; advanced biological nutrient management based on optimal soil health practices; enhanced synergies between crop roots and soil biota; linkages between soil, plant, animal, and human health; adaption and mitigation needs of stakeholders; new crops or new varieties to help producers be profitable while adapting to a changing climate; social and economic barriers to stakeholder adoption of new practices that improve adaptation, mitigation, and soil sequestration; and evaluation and assessment of climate-related decision tools of the Department of Agriculture. Grazing-based livestock management systems to optimize the net greenhouse gas footprint, including— grazing land carbon sequestration; and mitigation of enteric methane. Perennial production systems that sequester carbon, enhance soil health, and increase resilience, including— perennial forages; perennial grains; and agroforestry. Each regional hub established under subsection (a)— shall solicit input from stakeholders on pressing needs, important issues, and outreach strategies through a variety of mechanisms, including regional stakeholder committees; and may partner with stakeholders in conducting research and developing tools. The Secretary shall appoint a team of individuals representing the regional hubs established under subsection (a), partners with those regional hubs, and the Risk Management Agency to develop recommendations to better account for— climate risk in actuarial tables; and soil health and other risk-reducing conservation activities under the Federal crop insurance program under the Federal Crop Insurance Act ( 7 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.). The team appointed under paragraph
(1)shall submit to the Secretary, on an iterative basis, but not less frequently than once every 2 years, the recommendations developed by the team under that paragraph. There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2030. .
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Sec. 202
Regional hubs for risk adaptation and mitigation to climate change
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