A $1 billion proposal released by the Minnesota House Climate Action Caucus in January represents a meaningful investment in the health of our farms, soil, water, climate, and rural communities. The $1 billion proposal includes key priorities of LSP’s Soil Health and Climate Steering Committee, such as:
- $20 million for the Soil Health Cost-Share Program that LSP members successfully established during the 2021 state legislative session.
- $40 million for the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) and other native grass conservation programs.
- $20 million for the Forever Green Initiative, a program at the University of Minnesota that develops and commercializes cover crops, perennial crops, and other regenerative crops.
- $10 million to advance commercialization of continuous living cover crops.
The 2022 Minnesota legislative session begins Jan. 31. It’s important to contact Minnesota lawmakers today and ask that they support the Minnesota House Climate Action Caucus’s Budget Proposal, particularly the lands section. By bolstering the Soil Health Cost-Share program, the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, commercialization of continuous living cover crops, and the Forever Green Initiative, we will see a tangible impact on the resiliency of our land and the health of our farmers and rural economies.
With the largest surplus in our state’s history, we must take advantage of the enormous opportunity ahead of us to make the kinds of investments that will pay off long into the future. Contact Minnesota lawmakers today about this proposal — it can help ensure all farmers have the resources they need to build resiliency on the land and to improve the health of our soil, water, climate, and rural, urban, and urban communities.