DEMOCRATS DETAIL PLANS FOR CLIMATE-FRIENDLY FARMING: The climate change committee on Tuesday unveiled an ambitious framework for slashing greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by the century's halfway point. That would be achieved, in part, by ramping up conservation programs for ag producers that are consistently oversubscribed and cover just a fraction of the country's farmlands, Pro Ag's Helena Bottemiller Evich reports. Among the panel's proposals: Pouring far more money into "climate-smart" ag practices; making climate adaptation and mitigation a specific goal of federal farm policy; creating a "Climate-Based Producer" certification for farmers; and developing feed additives that can lower methane emissions. Tepid response from ag world: Our inboxes were somewhat quiet as many food and farm groups did not immediately react to the lengthy proposal. But industry groups that did weigh in were not especially enthusiastic. Beef check: The National Cattlemen's Beef Association, for example, didn't come out swinging against the report, but it said the plan was "unfortunately the product of partisan discussions that failed to encompass important constituent communities across the country." Three cheers from House Ag: Three House Agriculture subcommittee chairs — Abigail Spanberger, David Scott and Stacey Plaskett — praised the report, saying it was encouraging to see the committee and the Democratic caucus recognize that agriculture can be "a collaborative part of the solution to the climate crisis." Bottom line: Most pieces of the climate blueprint aren't likely to go anywhere during this Congress, considering Republicans widely oppose the plan and lawmakers are more focused on managing the pandemic and recession. But there's some bipartisan interest in advancing climate-friendly farm policies. Just last week, the Senate Ag Committee held its first hearing since March on a bipartisan carbon credits bill. And there are signs that the industry itself is starting to take climate issues more seriously. WESTERN RURAL DEVELOPMENT, POST-COVID-19: The Western Governors' Association today released its Reimagining the Rural West Initiative report with a dozen recommendations for retooling economic development efforts out West, as businesses and towns try to bounce back from the pandemic. The initiative, led by WGA Chair and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, follows a series of workshops hosted by Republican and Democratic governors over the past year. For context: Rural communities on average were more vulnerable to the public health and economic crisis after a decade of slower recovery from the last recession, compared with more populated areas. They're also more reliant on industries like agriculture, mining and manufacturing that have faced financial headwinds for years. The WGA suggests rethinking economic development efforts that have long focused on recruiting businesses to rural areas. "Opportunities for that kind of development are shrinking as companies outsource labor or concentrate in places with a high density of skilled workers," the report says. Instead, it proposes focusing on advantages like better access to outdoor recreation and higher quality of life that "can serve to attract new residents, or entice young people to stay or return to their rural hometowns." That includes changing the metrics and requirements for federal programs that support rural development, including loans and grants from the Agriculture and Commerce departments. The plan also focuses on improving food and water access in the West, citing the higher distribution costs and logistical hurdles in more spread out communities that can make it harder to supply fresh and healthy foods. No surprise: Expanding high-speed internet access is a key piece of the report. The so-called digital divide in rural areas remains a roadblock to innovations like remote learning, telework and telemedicine that have been critical during the pandemic. Speaking of broadband: Rural wireless carriers are complaining that they're caught in the crossfire as the Trump administration cracks down on Chinese tech companies like Huawei and ZTE. A trade group representing the carriers said it was "stunned" at how quickly the FCC cut off subsidies to U.S. companies that used gear from the blacklisted Chinese firms, Pro Tech's John Hendel reports. | 
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