The Greenhouse Gas Technical Assistance Provider and Third-Party Verifier Program Advisory Council (informally referred to as the Growing Climate Solutions Act Advisory Council) is a Federal Advisory Committee made up of 32 public and private individuals representing the agriculture industry and voluntary environmental credit markets. Established by the Growing Climate Solutions Act (GCSA) and governed by the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), the Council will support the Greenhouse Gas Technical Assistance Provider and Third-Party Verifier Program by making it easier for farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners, including beginning, underserved, limited resource and veteran farmers, to participate in voluntary environmental credit markets.
Council Activities
The Council meets at least once per year at a public meeting to discuss the items on its work agenda, vote on proposals, and make recommendations to the Secretary. AMS and the Council value transparency and invite public input via advance written and in-person oral comments. All meetings are free and open to the public.
Key activities of the Council include:
Periodically reviewing and recommending changes to:
- The list of protocols recognized by the Program for generating environmental credits.
- The required qualifications for technical assistance providers and third-party verifiers.
- The activities for which technical assistance providers and third-party verifiers may register to provide services under the Program that prevent, reduce, or mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
Making recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture on best practices that should be included in the protocols, qualifications, and activities above.
Advising the Secretary of Agriculture on:
- Current methods used in voluntary environmental credit markets to quantify and verify the prevention, reduction, or mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions.
- Ways to reduce barriers to entry for technical assistance providers and third-party verifiers in voluntary environmental credit markets.
- Ways to improve USDA-provided technical assistance.
- Ways to reduce compliance and verification costs for farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners entering voluntary environmental credit markets.
- Issues related to land and asset ownership in light of evolving voluntary environmental credit markets.
- Means to increase participation in voluntary environmental credit markets for farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners, including those who are beginning, underserved, of limited resource, and veterans.
The Council will also submit an initial assessment to Congress about the Greenhouse Gas Technical Assistance Provider and Third-Party Verifier Program and will consult with the Secretary on subsequent periodic assessments.
Membership
Each Council member is appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture for a two-year term. (To create a staggered membership, of the members first appointed, eight will serve a one-year term, 12 will serve a two-year term, and 12 will serve a three-year term.) AMS will periodically publish a call for nominations in the Federal Register.
• Learn about the Council nomination process
Contact Information
Sasha Strohm
GCSA@usda.gov
(202) 720-5705
USDA-AMS-L&P
1400 Independence Avenue, SW STOP 0249
Washington, DC 20250-0249
Resources
- Charter (pdf)
- Federal Register Notice of Intent to Establish Charter and Solicitation for Nominations
Discussion documents, recommendations, reports and/or other documents prepared by the Greenhouse Gas Technical Assistance Provider and Third-Party Verifier Program Advisory Council, including any of its subcommittees or task forces, represent the views of the Council and do not necessarily represent the views and policies of the Department of Agriculture or of any other agency in the Executive branch of the Federal government. Council documents, including subcommittee notes, do not create or confer legal rights or impose any legally binding requirements on the Department of Agriculture or any party.