Sustainable farms passes committee but needs your help! + meet Katsi

Hello, CarbonWA friends: Let a thousand, or at least a few, bipartisan climate bills bloom! Read on for how you can help us address carbon emissions on our farms, plus meet Katsi, our new advocacy coordinator!CarbonWA Welcomes Katsi Peña to StaffPlease welcome Katsi Peña, who will serve as the new Advocacy Coordinator for Carbon Washington. She is a graduate student at the University of Washington, studying Environmental Policy. She has recently come from Colorado but is originally from Puerto Rico. Katsi is passionate about bridging science, policy, and environmental justice and is excited to work with you to help achieve our mission of increasing demand for climate action and fighting for smart carbon policies! If you’d like to learn more about Katsi or to get involved in our advocacy efforts, contact Katsi at Katsi@carbonwa.org.Bipartisan Sustainable Farm Bill Needs YOUR HELP!One of our top priorities this legislative session has been the creation and introduction of a bipartisan bill that would incentivize carbon reduction on farmland. Our policy team has been hard at work with legislative sponsors on research and drafting of SB 5947. You can read about it more in the newsletter we sent out last week and in the op-ed we authored in the Washington Wire.The Sustainable Farm and Field bill we've been pushing in the legislature just passed out of its first committee with a bipartisan, near unanimous vote! But, now we need your help. The next stop is the Ways and Means Committee. If you live in the district of one of the Ways and Means Committee members, please write or call them to urge support for SB 5947 by Friday! (Look up your legislator here and see if they are on the Ways and Means Committee here).Email Katsi@carbonwa.org if you want more information, help finding your lawmakers, or if you can volunteer to help us pass the Sustainable Farm and Fields bill!Other Climate and Legislative NewsJoin CarbonWA staff and volunteers on March 17th for CarbonWA in Concert: A climate change jazz concert by the Alaska Suite. The Alaska Suite offers a unique climate change themed jazz performance you won't want to miss - and funds raised will go to CarbonWA's efforts to pass climate legislation. RSVP on Facebook and stay tuned for more information via email.The sustainable farms bill isn't the only bipartisan climate bill we are backing. A climate education bill (SB 5576/HB 1496), and our revived biochar memorial are also generating bipartisan interest.We are also supporting bills to move Washington toward 100% clean electricity, which appear headed for a floor vote shortly (see Audubon's alert for more) and use our nifty webform to encourage your lawmakers to support it!The first carbon price has also been introduced, a relatively modest carbon fee to pay for transportation projects. We are still reviewing the transportation package and we expect to see more on carbon pricing in the coming weeks.We have moved to endorse the healthy soils program in the Governor's budget, which would research methods for increasing soil carbon sequestration and overall sustainability. We hope the legislature funds the program this year!Finally, Thad Curtz has developed an excellent resource in the Climate at the Legislature website. We recently interviewed him to discuss the website and how it empowers activists to push for climate action.Like what you’re reading? Help us continue to represent your views and give you the straight scoop on what’s happening. Your donation will multiply our effectiveness.Thanks,Your Carbon Washington Team