Imagine a world in which farmers and ranchers were paid to generate … ecosystem services such as water filtration, carbon sequestration and wildlife habitat. Imagine a world in which carbon and water-quality credits traded on a commodities exchange alongside oat and wheat futures. Sound crazy? The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) doesn’t think so. In fact, a number of announcements in the final week of January 2007 brought the brave new world described above one huge step closer to reality. When Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns unveiled the USDA’s plans for the 2007 Farm Bill on January 31, 2007, it was hard to miss the new focus on incentive-based conservation in many of the 65 proposals.

News notes are courtesy of Southern Forests Network News Notes
www.southernsustainableforests.org