The Growing Climate Solutions Act (GCSA) was reintroduced to the Senate yesterday in a bipartisan effort to establish nationwide protocols to help farmers and ranchers adopt sustainable management practices while reducing greenhouse gas pollution.

“This is an important piece of legislation, specifically for Nebraska,” said Kristal Stoner, executive director for Audubon Nebraska. “Farmers and ranchers are important stewards of our landscapes, and this bill would provide additional management options for them to earn credit while helping the environment. It’s a win-win.”

By utilizing practical management, such as cover cropping and prescribed grazing on Nebraska’s working lands, habitats for birds will be enhanced, soils will be more resilient and greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide will be pulled out of the air and stored in soil and biomass. It would also provide much-needed support for Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers.

However, farmers wouldn’t be the only ones benefiting from the GCSA. According to Audubon’s recent report, Survival By Degrees, two-thirds of North American bird species will be vulnerable to extinction by mid-century. But with efforts like the GCSA, we could limit the impact and save a majority of these species.

We would like to thank Senator Deb Fischer for signing on as a cosponsor for this bill.

Learn more about the threat to our state’s birds at www.audubon.org/climate/survivalbydegrees.