One recent development within the US Department of Agriculture has been the creation of the Office of Ecosystem Services and Markets, headed by Sally Collins. Collins had served as Associate Chief of the Forest Service for the past eight years. Todd Wilkinson reported on this in the  Christian Science Monitor, February 3, 2009: "New US office takes fresh approach to carbon: One possibility: Industrial emitters of CO2 partner with landowners to plant forests."

This was one of the final actions by the Bush Administration in its response to the climate change challenge, the new office works encourages partnerships between urban industrial emitters of CO2 and farmers, ranchers and the U.S. Forest Service in land use initiatives providing carbon sequestration services.