568.
(a) The secretary shall convene an Environmental Farming Science Advisory Panel to advise the secretary on the implementation of an environmental farming program, established pursuant to Section 566, and assist federal, state, and local government agencies, as appropriate or necessary, on issues relating to the impact of agricultural practices on air, water, climate change, and wildlife habitat.(b) (1) The panel shall consist of the following members:
(A) Two members appointed by the Secretary for Environmental Protection. One of these members shall have expertise in climate
change and its impacts on California agriculture, and the other member shall have expertise in greenhouse gas emissions reduction practices related to agriculture.
(B) Two members appointed by the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency. One of these members shall be affiliated with the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts. The other member shall be engaged in the conduct of scientific research related to the purposes described in Section 566.
(C) Five members appointed by the secretary, according to the following:
(i) Three members who are agricultural producers in the state with at least five years of training and experience in the field of agriculture. At least one of
these members shall be registered as a
producer pursuant to the California Organic Products Act of 2003 (Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 46000) of Division 17).
(ii) One member who is affiliated with the University of California Cooperative Extension.
(iii) One member who is engaged in the conduct of scientific research related to the purposes described in Section 566.
(2) The secretary may appoint nonvoting advisers to the panel after consulting with the panel.
(3) The secretary shall designate the member who is to serve as the chair of the panel.
(4) Members of the panel shall be highly qualified and professionally
active with at least five years of experience in their chosen field.
(5) Of the members first appointed to the panel, four shall serve for a term of two years and five shall serve for a term of three years, as determined by lot. Thereafter, members shall be appointed for a term of three years.
(c) The panel, at a minimum and as necessary, shall do all of the following:
(1) (A) Review data on the impact impacts and benefits that agriculture has on the environment and recommend to the secretary and other appropriate state agencies data
that the panel determines is scientifically valid.
(B) A state agency that receives data recommended by the panel may adopt and incorporate the data into the appropriate program.
(C) If a state agency does not utilize the data recommended by the panel, the state agency shall provide the panel with a written statement of reasons for not doing so. The reasons shall specify, at a minimum, the scientific basis for not utilizing the data. The reasons shall be provided within 180 days of receiving the data.
(2) Compile the net environmental impacts of agriculture on the environment, identified pursuant to paragraph (1), for use by the department, other relevant state agencies, and the public.
(3) Research, review, and comment on data upon which proposed environmental policies and regulatory programs are based to ensure that the environmental impacts of agricultural activities are accurately portrayed and to identify incentives that may be provided to encourage agricultural practices with environmental benefits.
(4) Assist government agencies to incorporate benefits identified pursuant to paragraph (1) into environmental regulatory programs.
(5) Review and advise the secretary and the State Board of Food and Agriculture on existing and proposed programs and projects that provide technical, educational, and financial assistance, including, but not limited to, competitive grants to agricultural producers that will result in multiple environmental and health benefits,
including, but not limited to, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, increased carbon storage in soils and woody biomass, improved air and water quality, enhanced wildlife habitat, and improved local health outcomes.
(d) The State Air Resources Board, in consultation with the secretary and the panel, shall consider, and recommend, as appropriate, in the guidance developed pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 16428.9 of the Government Code, the use of available tools to demonstrate and quantify greenhouse gas emissions reductions from the grant program established pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 569, including, but not limited to, the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s National Conservation Practice Standards and COMET-Farm and other quantification tools.
(e) The
panel may establish ad hoc committees, which may include professionals or scientists, to assist it in performing its functions.
(f) (1) The panel shall submit a biennial report to the Legislature, the Governor, the agencies represented on the panel, and the State Board of Food and Agriculture that includes all of the following:
(A) A description of the work conducted by the panel during the prior two-year period.
(B) The panel’s action plan for the next two years, including goals and performance measures.
(2) The first report shall be submitted two years after the panel’s first meeting or January 1, 2019, whichever occurs first.
(3) A report to be submitted pursuant to this subdivision shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(g) The panel shall be created and maintained with funds made available from existing resources within the department to the extent they are available.