Build Infrastructure

Producing technical guidelines for the development of market infrastructure that works for landowners and yields environmental results

Metrics quantify the environmental services that flow from various land management practices.  Metrics provide the scientific foundation from which environmental credits can then be calculated.

1. OEM is assisting the USDA Climate Change Program Office in developing technical guidelines and science-based methods for estimating the greenhouse gas and carbon sequestration impacts of agricultural practices at the farm scale.

2. OEM is working with the University of Maryland to provide recommendations to inform a protocol for water quality metrics development.

3. OEM is working with the Willamette Partnership to review existing metrics for biodiversity and wildlife habitat in the U.S. and to assess the need for additional national guidance.

Registries are official recordkeeping databases which play numerous roles in environmental markets.  Verification processes ensure the validity and quality of the environmental credits generated in a market-based system.  OEM is working with other USDA agencies to provide guidance for the development of registries and verification processes based on USDA’s extensive program experience.

Collaborate and Coordinate

Working with stakeholders across sectors and industries to ensure the usefulness and use of USDA technical guidelines

OEM facilitates a USDA Environmental Markets Council and Technical Working Group to coordinate market-related activity across USDA agencies.  OEM also chairs the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Markets Team, a collaboration of over 12 federal agencies working to enable environmental markets to function effectively in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

Assess Options

Providing analysis and technical assistance to support market development and apply USDA technical guidelines

Under Executive Order 13508 and its subsequent strategy, OEM is a designated lead for strategy actions regarding environmental markets in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

OEM will work with the USDA Climate Change Program Office and Natural Resources Conservation Service to analyze upcoming findings from the Conservation Innovation Grant Program for Reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions and Promoting Carbon Sequestration.

Educate and Inform

Building informational platforms and tools to demonstrate the value of market-based conservation, assist market development, and facilitate landowner participation

Farm of the Future profiles working farms, forests, and ranches that are currently receiving payments for ecosystem services as a supplement to their traditional income.

OEM supports the development of online tools that estimate nutrient reductions or carbon sequestration achieved from changed land management activities.  These tools can help landowners assess their opportunities to participate in environmental markets.