Model: Expanding Climate-Smart Policies and Policymaker Engagement
Vision: Extension will leverage its trust as a community partner and expertise in climate-smart insights, research, and applied learning to advance the adoption of climate-smart practices backed by sound policy. Extension will inform policymaking by educating policymakers on the status of climate science, the reality of climate change impact, and how they translate to climate-smart practices implemented by end users. Further, it will increase engagement with policymakers at all levels (local, state, federal) and promote dialogue with Extension professionals and Extension partners across communities, natural resources, agricultural lands, and beyond. Long-term outcomes envisioned through this work over the next decade and beyond include developing agency-level understanding that Extension should be a go-to resource for insights on prospective policy related to climate and working with policymakers to utilize Extension as a trusted partner in information delivery and program implementation.
Short-Term Outcomes: Over the next one to three years, Extension seeks to deliver climate outcomes including:
• Contribute to adoption of policies that advance climate resiliency
• Extension-led facilitation and relationships
• Develop pathways for collaborator-policymaker interactions
• Increased capacity of Extension to follow through on commitment to climate-smart delivery via policy and in partnership with producers
• Extension receives funding for farmers that enhances the stability of climate work
• Insights from private-sector research supported by public funding become more accessible to all
• Empower Extension professionals to transparently and effectively help landowners navigate privacy issues, available incentives, technical assistance, and sequencing of support
• Extension professionals educated/trained on proper policymaker engagement protocols/restrictions
Key Activities: Extension envisions a series of activities that could make these outcomes possible, including:
• Assess and address internal capacity and gaps:
o Assess how Extension is working to advance and inform policy
o Develop a policy task force to address gaps in Extension policy work
o Conduct research into best management practices for local/regional (state) policy
o Train Extension on how to engage with policymakers at local, state and federal level
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