Oregon could soon be among the first states to make farms, forests, ranches and natural lands part of its official efforts to combat climate change.
Senate Bill 530, which had its first legislative hearing Wednesday, would allow the state to offer financial incentives for voluntarily managing those lands for carbon sequestration.
That could include things like helping farmers plant cover crops, supporting longer logging rotations on private forests, planting more trees in urban areas and protecting coastal communities from sea-level rise.
The bill defines natural and working lands in state statute for the first time and establishes policy direction to advance natural climate solutions.
It directs the state to compile an inventory of the sequestration and storage capacity of Oregon’s natural and working lands, and creates a dedicated fund to provide incentives to landowners.
All this, proponents say, will position Oregon to leverage billions of dollars in new federal funding, as well as private investments.
“It’s about making our natural lands more productive, more resilient in the face of a changing climate,” said Sen. Michael Dembrow, D-Portland, who is sponsoring the bill.
Natural Climate Solutions Act
Proponents say the bill, which they’re calling the Natural Climate Solutions Act, is the final piece in Oregon’s climate strategy.
Gov. Kate Brown signed an executive order in 2020 directing multiple state agencies to take actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Her move followed two failed attempts in the Oregon Legislature, in 2019 and 2020, to pass cap-and-invest legislation, which would have put a progressively declining cap on greenhouse gas emissions statewide.
Both times, Republicans walked out of the Capitol to prevent a vote.
In December 2021, the Environmental Quality Commission adopted the state’s Climate Protection Program, developed in response to the executive order. It sets enforceable limits on greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels.
At the last minute, provisions for carbon sequestration were dropped from the plan, shocking some advocates.
SB 530 is based on recommendations in an August 2021 Oregon Global Warming Commission report.
Packed hearing
Dozens of farmers, ranchers, vineyard owners and other landowners, as well as environmental groups testified in support of the bill Wednesday.
Many landowners said they were already taking steps to sequester carbon, and that those actions had been good for business.
“Storing more carbon on the landscape is good for farms,” Yamhill County farmer Casey Kulla said.
The bill is opposed by some of Oregon’s biggest natural resource industry groups, including the Oregon Forest Industries Council and the Oregon Small Woodlands Association.
Opponents said they are worried about a possible creep from voluntary to mandatory participation. They also complained that a proposed advisory committee would not have enough members who are landowners.
Dembrow said he plans to incorporate several suggestions into a proposed amendment before the bill gets another public hearing. That hearing has not yet been scheduled.
The committee is accepting written comments on the proposal through 8 a.m. Feb 17. Comments can be submitted at olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Testimony/SNR/SB/530?area=Measures.
Tracy Loew covers the environment at the Statesman Journal. Send comments, questions and tips totloew@statesmanjournal.com, 503-399-6779. Follow her on Twitter at@Tracy_Loew
