Conserve Our Natural Resources

Montana farmers uses regenerative farming techniques to cultivate healthy soil, food, & community. Photo courtesy of National Plains Resource Council

State legislators can champion rural environmental health through policies that prioritize clean water, clean air, and biodiversity, and regulate polluting industries. Lawmakers can also ensure that environmental regulatory and enforcement structures in the state are robust. This includes adequate funding for environmental protection agencies and agency authorization to issue penalties for bad actors and repeat violators. If policymakers think that the enforcement agency is not properly enforcing the law, they can advance legislation to get more details.

Support and Invest in the Growing Industrial Hemp Economy

There is tremendous potential in the hemp industry, with new jobs in agriculture, processing, manufacturing, marketing, and more. Research shows that hemp industry jobs are higher-paying than those in mainstream agriculture (and even higher when they’re unionized). Globally, hemp is a booming industry producing for markets such as car manufacturing. Hemp has significant environmental benefits, including as an alternative to fossil fuel-based plastics, building materials, fabric and textiles, and paper. Hemp has also been shown to successfully suppress weed growth when used as a cover crop.

The 2018 Farm Bill reclassified hemp and legalized industrial production at the federal level, but there is still a lack of clarity on the federal laws and how they interact with state laws. Confusion around federal hemp laws is one of the key barriers impacting the industrial hemp industry, hemp farmers, and state legislators attempting to support and grow the industrial hemp industry. Though the USDA offers some programs to hemp producers and is currently conducting research, rulemaking, and surveying hemp farmers, there is much more to be done to support the economic viability of this industry.

One of the most significant challenges facing industrial hemp farmers is federal regulations requiring hemp crops to contain less than 0.3 percent THC. Federal law requires destruction of a crop that tests above the 0.3 percent limit. In 2020, an estimated 6,000 acres of “hot” hemp with concentrations above the limit were destroyed, at significant financial loss to farmers.

Hemp licenses can also be very expensive for new and beginning farmers. Coupled with a fluctuating and unreliable processing market and challenging and confusing federal regulations, the hemp industry can be risky business for farmers. Socially disadvantaged farmers without significant financial backing may not have the resources to initially invest. Black and brown farmers who have been historically discriminated against in the war on drugs may experience additional social oppression in accessing grants, loans, land, and obtaining licenses.

Support Foresters, Farmers, and Ranchers Using Responsible, Climate-Friendly Land Practices

Regenerative Farming at Medicine Creek Farm

Not all agriculture is good for the planet, but regenerative agriculture and forestry practices are climate-friendly, not only sequestering carbon, but building healthy soil that retains water and increases habitat for wildlife and pollinating insects. These methods have been used by Black and Indigenous communities for generations, and they are increasingly being employed more broadly by farmers across the country.

The gold standard of regenerative farming practices is managed grazing (also called intensive rotational grazing), in which ruminants like cattle, sheep, or goats graze on a rotation of perennial grasses. The practice sequesters carbon, builds soil health and moisture absorption, and reduces fuels in fire-prone regions. Pasture-based livestock farms and ranches also offer an array of beneficial environmental services and contribute to the rural economy by providing healthy food for the local community. There is a wide range of policy options to promote healthy soils and climate-friendly farm practices in ways that will work in any political environment, and managed grazing should be incentivized and prioritized whenever possible.

On private forest lands, policymakers should consider policies to incentivize sustainable management practices that protect clean water, promote carbon sequestration, and protect habitat. Practices that should be disincentivized on private land include streamside logging, clear-cutting (particularly on slopes), and use of pesticides and herbicides. Finally, policymakers should consider the financial aspects of the timber economy and consider creating economic trusts or other structures that separate county budgets from the timber harvest, to avoid the boom-and-bust cycle of reliance on a single industry.