Currently I am working primarily with Tim Searchinger and Scott Faber at Environmental Defense, implementing the new Center for Conservation Incentives
Projects under this initiative include:
- Analyzing alternatives to current commodity programs under the 2002 Farm Bill using the USMP model in conjunction with Robert House
- Assessment of USDA Conservation Programs with Sara Hopper, Environmental Defense and Craig Cox, Soil and Water Conservation Society
- Analyzing USDA's Environmental
Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), including:
- Funding allocation to States and within States
- Ranking requirements in the rule and as implemented by States
- Development of Model EQIP ranking templates (see Materials-EQIP)
- Analysis of FY-2003 EQIP performance
- Analyzing other USDA programs,
including:
- Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
- Grassland Reserve Program (GRP)
- Implementation of the new Conservation Security Program (CSP)
- Analysis and development of a nutrient management demonstration program in Lancaster County, PA (see Materials-Conestoga)
- Analysis and development of nutrient management demonstration programs in other parts of the country
Other projects undertaken include:
- "Integrating OECD's agri-environmental indicators and policy inventory into agri-environmental policy" Organization for European Cooperation and Development (OECD) workshop on Agri-Environmental Indicators and the Policy Inventory, Agriculture and the Environment, Washington DC on 19-21 March 2007.
- Authoring "Land Retirement for Conservation: History and Accomplishments" in Agricultural Policy for 2007 Farm Bill and Beyond for the American Enterprise Institute (current)
- "The U.S. Conservation Reserve Program" Case study for Scottish Natural Heritage project entitled 'Maximising the provision of public goods for future Agri - Environment schemes for the Land Use Policy Group of British statutory conservation, countryside and environment agencies", contract with Cambridge University (current)
- Presentations for Innovations in Reducing Nonpoint Source Pollution Conference, Indianapolis, Indiana, The Rivers Institute at Hanover College November 28-30, 2006.
- Practical Measurement of Ecosystem Services: Can We Standardize the Way We Count Nature's Benefits? Resources for the Future, Washington, DC (May 2006)
- Presented "A Green 2007 Farm Bill: Paying Farmers for environmental improvement as an alternative to traditional commodity programs" at On The Dairy Horizon: Reflections about Trade, Environment and the Safety Net, 13th Annual Workshop for Dairy Economists and Policy Analysts San Antonio, TX, organized by the Extension Education Committee of the Cornell Program on Dairy Markets and Policy and National Institute of Livestock and Dairy Policy (March 2006)
- Farmland Conservation Workgroup, USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service grant project, Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California at Santa Barbara (David Stoms and Frank Davis)(September 2005)
- Participation in an External Analysis Committee for American Farmland Trust on Green Payments in support of AFT's Farm Policy Campaign (September 2005)
- Discussant at "Building the Scientific Basis for Green Payments" organized by the World Wildlife Fund and Michigan State University (April, 2005)
- A report for the Organization for European Cooperation and Development (OECD) analyzing the technical assistance costs of the U.S. Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). The report was presented at a workshop in Paris in January 2005.
- Participation in a panel on environmental policy for a Management Development Program for Syngenta Corporation, organized by Purdue University (September 2003)