Climate Change Mitigation and NRCS Conservation Programs.

NRCS plays an active role in providing technical assistance and financial opportunities for producers to address climate change through management of carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in agricultural systems.

NRCS provides incentives and supports voluntary actions by private landowners in targeting GHGs emissions through a portfolio of beneficial conservation programs including EQIP, WHIP, CSP, GRP, and WRP. A wide range of agricultural activities can be used to mitigate GHG levels including sequestration of carbon in soils and woody biomass, reduction in GHG emissions, and substitution of fossil fuel with renewable energy sources. These activities can be adopted to provide co-benefits with other ecosystem services.  For example, producers currently take advantage of cost-share programs to install methane digesters and produce on-farm energy to reduce the GHG methane and at the same time reduce their energy costs.  Residue management and conservation tillage increases soil organic matter retention and while improving soil moisture and  soil quality