August 7th, 2026Heinrich Cosponsors COWS Act to Reduce Greenhouse Emissions, Support Sustainable Waste Practices

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) a member of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development and Food and Drug Administration today cosponsored the Converting Our Waste Sustainably Act (COWS Act) reintroduced by U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. The COWS Act would help producers reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air and water quality, and implement more sustainable alternative manure management practices. U.S. Representative Jim Costa (D-Calif.) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. “New Mexico is the ninth-largest dairy milk producer in the country, and fifth in cheese production. It’s important that our dairy and livestock producers have access the innovative alternative manure management tools they need to be resilient, support our local economies, and help us keep healthy and nutritious food on our tables,” said Heinrich . “The COWS Act will help equip New Mexico producers with cost-effective sustainable manure management practices that protect our air and water while strengthening their operations for years to come.” “As California continues to provide food for families across the country, it’s critical we equip our producers with resources and tools to ensure sustainable and cost-effective practices,” said Padilla . “Yet, today’s climate crisis demands that we adopt a more sustainable agricultural model. This bill would invest in long-term and low-cost pasture management treatments – ultimately supporting our family dairies, improving the quality of the air we breathe, protecting our environment, and keeping California’s cows happy.” The COWS Act supports the adoption of manure management conservation practices, that will help the New Mexico livestock industry achieve three goals: (1) modernize technologies for manure management that help boost profitability; (2) improve water and soil quality; and (3) reduce methane and nitrogen oxide emissions by fostering climate-smart farming. The legislation also directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to prioritize awards for underserved communities and beginning farmers or ranchers. Specifically, the COWS Act would: Make alternative manure management practices eligible under USDA’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to award dairy or livestock producers grants to install equipment and infrastructure for pasture-based management, alternative treatment and storage practices, solid separation systems, and scrape technologies, and Provide technical assistance and training to aid in the implementation of eligible manure management and composting measures. This legislation is based on California’s Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP), which was established in 2017 to support non-digester approaches to manage manure. The program has since supported 198 projects that are estimated to reduce 1.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent over five years. In addition to Heinrich, this bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). The COWS act is also similar to Section 505 of Senator Heinrich’s Agricultural Resilience Act, which proposes to create a stand-alone alternative manure management program at the USDA, as part of a larger more comprehensive package of programs and policies intended to help reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in U.S. agriculture by 2040. The COWS Act is endorsed by California Dairies, California Dairy Campaign, Environmental Working Group, National Farmers Union, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, Milk Producers Council, and the National Milk Producers Federation. “The COWS Act gives dairy farmers of all sizes practical tools to cut methane emissions, improve water quality, and generate valuable compost as an alternative to synthetic fertilizers. At a time when California dairies are under real economic pressure due to low milk prices and high input costs this kind of flexible, EQIP-backed support is exactly what family dairies need. The California Dairy Campaign is proud to support Senator Padilla’s leadership on this bill,” said Lynne McBride, Executive Director of California Dairy Campaign . “Milk Producers Council strongly supports the COWS Act,” said Kevin Abernathy, General Manager of Milk Producers Council . “The science has shown that the implementation of post-conservation practices in the dairy ecosystem helps improve soil health, provides cleaner air and water, and leads to healthier animals. California’s Alternative Manure Management Program has been a model for smart conservation practices, and the COWS Act would help expand this model nationwide.” “Dairy farmers do exceptional work on their farms to practice sound manure management, a critical conservation priority for maintaining healthy operations and protecting local land and water resources,” said Gregg Doud, President and CEO of National Milk Producers Federation . “Yet despite that leadership, oversubscribed conservation programs limit farmers’ access to the tools and support they need. Expanding these opportunities will recognize the great work farmers are already doing and improve their ability to innovate on a much greater scale. We thank Sens. Padilla, Schiff, and Heinrich for introducing the COWS Act, which will support the variety of manure management systems dairy farmers rely on.” A one-pager of the bill is available here . Full text of the bill is available here . ###