** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES ARE PART OF THE PATHWAY TOWARDS SLOWING AND AMELIORATING THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE. PRIVATE COMPANIES IN THE UNITED STATES HAVE BEGUN WORKING WITH FARMERS TO CREATE SOIL ORGANIC CARBON SEQUESTRATION CREDITS THROUGH CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES AND SELL THEM ON VOLUNTARY CARBON MARKETS. FARMERS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BENEFIT FROM THIS NEW CONSERVATION FUNDING OPPORTUNITY WHILE BEING PART OF THE CLIMATE CHANGE SOLUTION. WHILE THE PROMISE OF NEW AVENUES TO FUND CONSERVATION AND CLIMATE MITIGATION IS EXCITING TO ADVOCATES, THERE ARE MANY SCIENTIFIC, LEGAL, AND SOCIAL CONCERNS THAT ACCOMPANY THE DATA AND MODELING TECHNOLOGIES USED TO VALUE AND SELL SOIL ORGANIC CARBON CREDITS. EXISTING SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH HAS FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON INCREASING ADOPTION OF CLIMATE SMART PRACTICES BY IDENTIFYING ATTRACTIVE PAYMENT LEVELS, BUT LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE BROADER SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF THESE CARBON MARKET-SUPPORTING TECHNOLOGIES, INCLUDING EFFECTS ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOR, TRUST IN SCIENCE, AND CONTRACT LIABILITIES. THROUGH DATA COLLECTION WITH AGRICULTURAL STAKEHOLDERS IN ILLINOIS, IOWA, AND INDIANA, AND AMERICAN CONSUMERS, WE WILL FIRST IDENTIFY SCIENTIFIC, LEGAL, AND POLICY CONCERNS THROUGH A SURVEY, INTERVIEWS, LEGAL DOCUMENT REVIEW, AND MODELING WORKSHOPS. WE WILL THEN ASSESS AND IMPLEMENT OPPORTUNITIES TO AMELIORATE THESE CONCERNS THROUGH PARTICIPATORY PROCESSES, LEGAL BEST PRACTICE DOCUMENTS, POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS, AND BOLSTERED EXTENSION CAPACITY. FINDINGS AND PROCESSES DEVELOPED FROM THIS PROJECT CAN BE USED TO INCREASE THE TRANSPARENCY AND RESPONSIVENESS OF SCIENCE TO PUBLIC CONCERNS, IMPROVE DECISION-MAKING ON THE ISSUE BY FARMERS AND CONSUMERS, AND INFORM POLICY CHANGES.