Waxman Peterson Climate Deal

American Farmland Trust Excited About Waxman-Peterson Deal to Move Climate Change Legislation

CONTACT:

Jennifer Morrill: 301-792-6238 (cell), jmorrill@farmland.org

Washington, D.C., June 24, 2009 —“Last night’s deal between Chairman Collin Peterson (D-MN) and Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) appears to address many of the outstanding issues that we have been concerned about and thus ensure farmers and ranchers can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” says Jimmy Daukas, Managing Director of AFT’s Agriculture & Environment Campaign. “American Farmland Trust believes that by maximizing agriculture’s opportunities, you maximize the bill’s environmental benefits. We are eager to continue working with agriculture organizations and Congressional staff to move climate legislation through the House and we have already begun the process of engagement to maximize agriculture’s role as the bill moves to the Senate.”

“Carbon sequestration projects on agricultural lands are the easiest, most readily available, and cost-efficient means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions on a meaningful scale. So it is critical that the legislation ensures U.S. agriculture can, on a widely accessible scale, help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by adopting new practices and technologies and by producing low-carbon renewable energy,” adds Daukas.

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American Farmland Trust is the nation’s leading conservation organization dedicated to saving America’s farm and ranch land, promoting environmentally sound farming practices and supporting a sustainable future for farms. Since its founding in 1980 by a group of farmers and citizens concerned about the rapid loss of farmland to development, AFT has helped save millions of acres of farmland from development and led the way for the adoption of conservation practices on millions more.

AFT’s national office is located in Washington, DC. Phone: 202-331-7300. For more information, visit www.farmland.org.