Estimates of the potential emissions reductions from agricultural sequestration vary, but none of them are large compared to our inventoried emissions. The current draft of the climate plan uses 0.5 metric tons of CO2/acre-yr as the estimate for the potential increased sequestration from switching to regenerative agricultural practices on 30% of the 22,000 acres of cropland in the County, which is mostly hay. (This is just under the most recent Project Drawdown estimate for temperate areas, though Drawdown also estimates an small additional reduction in CO2 equivalent emissions from these practices, presumably from reductions in nitrous oxide.) Our sequestrations from regenerative agriculture on these 6,600 acres would be 3,300 tonnes a year; it’s only about 1% of the expected sequestration reductions in the plan, which would almost all come from adding forest.
The Sustainable Farms and Fields bill (SB5947) creates a small program of grants for supporting agroforestry; for increasing the carbon content of soils; and for reducing agricultural uses of water, of energy, and of fertilizers and pesticides produced from fossil fuels. There are links to a variety of resources at the bottom of the Washington State page from the State Healthy Soil Policy Map.
The Natural Resources Conservation Services’ COMET-Planner website provides estimates of the potential carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas reductions from adopting these and other conservation practices on a given acreage in your county.
A2.1 Regenerative agriculture *
Support/educate farmers about regenerative agricultural practices, such as low-till, no-till, silvoculture/silvopasture/agroforestry, treecropping.
A2.2 Soil management
Provide education on how to increase organic matter content and water retention in soils within urban and agricultural settings. (Integrating perennials into cropping systems such as grass forages, cover cropping, compost application and conservation tillage help improve water infiltration and storage, as well as increase soil organic matter content and carbon sequestration).
A2.3 Biochar
Thurston EDC, Port Authority and TCD partner to explore feasibility of biochar enterprise in Thurston County to promote amending soils with biochar.
A2.4 Soil carbon research
Fund/support regional soil carbon sequestration research to encourage adoption of region-specific conservation farming practices that store carbon.
A2.5 Silvopasture
Develop education programs and incentives to encourage farmers to incorporate tree planting on farms (e.g., silvoculture, silvopasture, agroforestry, tree cropping).