In his fiscal year 2023-2024 budget proposal, Gov. Jared Polis included funding for a number of key priorities for the Department of Agriculture and Colorado’s agricultural industry.
The governor’s budget proposal includes funding for several CDA programs and department priorities. To promote voluntary stewardship programs and enhance market diversity, the budget proposal designates funding for a market specialist who will help create and amplify market opportunities for Colorado producers growing commodities using regenerative and climate-smart agricultural practices.
Specifically, this position will help create market-based incentives for producers who are part of the STAR soil health program and who are voluntarily implementing climate and drought-smart management practices in their operations that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve water, or sequester carbon dioxide, among other outcomes.
As CDA works to scale the STAR program to a nationwide model, the organization will lead the effort to foster widespread adoption of these practices in the private market and create market opportunities for climate-smart producers.
To support emergency response and disease detection and response, the budget proposal includes additional funding for CDA’s Animal Health Division to support critical disease detection and emergency response functions. The budget also requests additional funding for a full-time Compliance Investigator and resources for a social services and mental health contractor for the Bureau of Animal Protection.
