My Letter to the USDA

I own a lawn and landscape company and I appreciate the opportunity to comment on the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Notice of Request for Public Comment on the Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. (USDA-2021-003). I write to you today as a member of the $98 billion landscape industry employing over 1.4 million employees in the United States.

As Climate Change becomes the focus of the administration it is important to note how the landscape industry plays a vital role in this issue and why they deserve a seat at the table when these discussions take place. This is about tackling the climate crisis at home and abroad and we literally mean at home, in our front and backyards.

The landscape industry is committed to responsibly using our expertise and experience to maintain healthy green spaces. Healthy green spaces through our communities can actually play a pivotal role in combating climate change including sequestering carbon, cooling the planet, filtering water and cleaning the air.

We have emerging research that suggests that the adoption of turfgrass best management practices is a powerful strategy for increasing soil carbon sequestration in the urban and suburban environments. We also know the pivotal role of forests but need to further explore the beneficial effects of trees and shrubs in suburban and urban spaces. 

When considering farms, ranches and forests, one is thinking of where the land is but not where the people are. Any successful program to address the issue of climate change must engage the public at large. Because of this, the lawn and landscape industry urges considerations of the urban and suburban green spaces to these questions and how properly managed landscape can play a pivotal role. Whether through research, support and/or broadening USDA’s mission to include managed green spaces the lawn and landscape industry stands ready to work with USDA, our customers and our communities to tackle climate change together.