CNN reports: On Tuesday, August 16, President Biden signed the ‘Inflation Reduction Act’ into law at a White House ceremony which agreed to include $20 billion for various land conservation programs. According to the CNN the act represents “the largest climate investment in American history”.

The act adopts spending over $430 billion to reduce carbon emissions by funding Land trusts and landowners through the voluntary Agricultural Conservation Easement Program, the Conservation Stewardship Program and Environmental Quality Incentives Program.

The latter provides financial assistance to agricultural producers and non-industrial forest managers to invest in solutions that conserve natural resources for the future while also improving agricultural operations. Additionally, $1 billion will be put aside for technical assistance for landowners who use these programs to reduce climate-related emissions. 

Andrew Bowman, President of the Land Trust Alliance, says: “The increase in funding of private land conservation programs is a great acknowledgement of the critical role that private landowners will continue to play in addressing climate change and its impacts. This is an unprecedented investment in voluntary private land conservation, and the work of land trusts across the country to protect our irreplaceable farmlands, forests, ranches and wetlands.”