§ 3845. Environmental services markets
(a)
Technical guidelines required
The Secretary shall establish technical guidelines that outline science-based methods to measure the environmental services benefits from conservation and land management activities in order to facilitate the participation of farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners in emerging environmental services markets. The Secretary shall give priority to the establishment of guidelines related to farmer, rancher, and forest landowner participation in carbon markets.
(b)
Establishment
The Secretary shall establish guidelines under subsection (a) for use in developing the following:
(c)
Verification requirements
(1)
Verification of reports
The Secretary shall establish guidelines for a process to verify that a farmer, rancher, or forest landowner who reports an environmental services benefit pursuant to the protocol required by paragraph (2) of subsection (b) for inclusion in the registry required by paragraph (3) of such subsection has implemented the conservation or land management activity covered by the report.
(d)
Use of existing information
In carrying out subsection (b), the Secretary shall build on activities or information in existence on the date of the enactment of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 regarding environmental services markets.
(e)
Consultation
In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall consult with the following: