No official summary available for this bill.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9912 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9912
To require the Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology of the
National Science and Technology Council to establish the Interagency
Working Group on Coastal Blue Carbon, require the Interagency Working
Group to produce a national map and inventory of coastal blue carbon
ecosystems, require the Administrator of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration to carry out pilot programs to protect
intact and restore degraded coastal blue carbon ecosystems, require the
Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution to establish the Coastal
Carbon Data Clearinghouse, require the Administrator to seek to enter
into an agreement with the National Academies of Science, Engineering,
and Medicine to conduct an assessment regarding geologic stores of
carbon dioxide, require the Administrator to establish the Coastal Blue
Carbon Inventory Program, and require the Administrator to conduct a
national assessment to quantify the carbon sequestration potential of
coastal blue carbon ecosystems.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 4, 2024
Ms. Bonamici (for herself, Mr. Posey, and Mr. Beyer) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural
Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Science, Space, and
Technology, House Administration, and Energy and Commerce, for a period
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology of the
National Science and Technology Council to establish the Interagency
Working Group on Coastal Blue Carbon, require the Interagency Working
Group to produce a national map and inventory of coastal blue carbon
ecosystems, require the Administrator of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration to carry out pilot programs to protect
intact and restore degraded coastal blue carbon ecosystems, require the
Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution to establish the Coastal
Carbon Data Clearinghouse, require the Administrator to seek to enter
into an agreement with the National Academies of Science, Engineering,
and Medicine to conduct an assessment regarding geologic stores of
carbon dioxide, require the Administrator to establish the Coastal Blue
Carbon Inventory Program, and require the Administrator to conduct a
national assessment to quantify the carbon sequestration potential of
coastal blue carbon ecosystems.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Coastal Restoration Act of 2024''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committees on Natural Resources and
Science, Space, and Technology of the House of
Representatives; and
(B) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate.
(2) Coastal blue carbon ecosystem.--The term ``coastal blue
carbon ecosystem''--
(A) means a coastal habitat, including a mangrove
forest, a tidal marsh, a shrub-dominated or -forested
tidal swamp, a kelp forest, a tidal mudflat, seagrass,
coastal subtidal sediment, and other tidal freshwater,
brackish, or salt-water wetlands, that has the ability
to sequester carbon from the atmosphere, accumulate
such sequestered carbon in biomass for years to
decades, and store such sequestered carbon in soil for
centuries to millennia; and
(B) includes--
(i) autochthonous carbon ecosystems; and
(ii) allochthonous carbon ecosystems.
(3) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian Tribe'' has the
meaning given such term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
(4) Interagency working group.--The term ``Interagency
Working Group'' means the Interagency Working Group on Coastal
Blue Carbon established under section 3(a).
(5) Regional coastal observing system.--The term ``regional
coastal observing system'' has the meaning given the term in
section 12303 of the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation
System Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3602).
(6) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several
States, the District of Columbia, and each territory and
possession of the United States.
(7) Subcommittee.--The term ``Subcommittee'' means the
Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology of the National
Science and Technology Council.
(8) Undersecretary.--The term ``Undersecretary'' means the
Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere in the
Under Secretary's capacity as the Administrator of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
SEC. 3. INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP ON COASTAL BLUE CARBON.
(a) Establishment.--The Subcommittee shall establish an Interagency
Working Group on Coastal Blue Carbon to coordinate Federal efforts to
research, monitor, identify, map, protect, and restore coastal blue
carbon ecosystems, including by--
(1) facilitating interagency coordination;
(2) developing a national strategy;
(3) supporting research and data collection;
(4) identifying resource and policy needs; and
(5) engaging relevant stakeholders.
(b) Membership.--The Interagency Working Group shall be composed of
senior representatives from--
(1) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration;
(2) the Environmental Protection Agency;
(3) the National Science Foundation;
(4) the National Aeronautics and Space Administration;
(5) the United States Geological Survey;
(6) the United States Fish and Wildlife Service;
(7) the National Park Service;
(8) the Bureau of Indian Affairs;
(9) the Smithsonian Institution;
(10) the Army Corps of Engineers;
(11) the Department of Agriculture;
(12) the Department of Energy;
(13) the Department of Defense;
(14) the Department of Transportation;
(15) the Department of State;
(16) the Federal Emergency Management Agency;
(17) the Office of Science and Technology Policy; and
(18) the Council on Environmental Quality.
(c) Chair.--The Interagency Working Group shall be chaired by the
Undersecretary.
(d) Responsibilities.--The Interagency Working Group shall carry
out the following activities:
(1) In accordance with section 4, produce, oversee, update,
and maintain a national map and inventory of coastal blue
carbon ecosystems, including information required under that
section.
(2) Develop a strategic assessment of the biophysical,
chemical, economic, regulatory, social, and statutory
impediments, including regionally specific opportunities to
reduce such impediments and facilitating factors of such
impediments, to restoration of coastal blue carbon ecosystems.
(3) Develop a national strategy for foundational science
necessary to study, synthesize, and evaluate the effects of
climate change and environmental and human stressors on carbon
sequestration rates, including lateral carbon fluxes, and
greenhouse gas emissions in coastal blue carbon ecosystems.
(4) Establish national protection and restoration
priorities for coastal blue carbon ecosystems, including an
assessment of Federal funding being used for restoration
efforts with respect to coastal blue carbon ecosystems.
(5) With other Federal agencies and users, ensure the
continuity, use, and interoperability of relevant data assets
through the Coastal Carbon Data Clearinghouse established under
section 6(a).
(6) Coordinate with research, monitoring, standards
development, project design, and other work related to marine
carbon dioxide removal being conducted by relevant laboratories
and offices of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration and the Subcommittee.
(7) Assess the legal authorities that exist to protect and
restore coastal blue carbon ecosystems.
(8) Implement the strategic plan required under subsection
(e)(2).
(e) Reports.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this section, the Interagency Working Group
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a
report regarding the activities carried out by the Interagency
Working Group under subsection (d), including the following:
(A) Information regarding activities, challenges,
analyses, and additional work and research needed with
respect to such activities.
(B) A summary of each federally funded coastal blue
carbon ecosystem research, monitoring, protection, and
restoration activity, including--
(i) the budget for each such activity; and
(ii) a description of the progress made by
each such activity in advancing the national
protection and restoration priorities
established under subsection (d)(4).
(C) The strategic assessment developed under
subsection (d)(2), including information regarding the
vulnerability of coastal blue carbon ecosystems to
climate impacts, such as sea-level rise, ocean and
coastal acidification, and other environmental and
human stressors.
(2) Strategic plan.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 6 months after the
date on which the Interagency Working Group submits the
report required under paragraph (1), and not less than
once every 5 years thereafter, the Interagency Working
Group shall submit to the appropriate congressional
committees a strategic plan for Federal investments in
basic research, development, demonstration, long-term
monitoring and stewardship, and deployment of coastal
blue carbon ecosystem projects for the 5-year period
beginning on the date on which the first full fiscal
year after the date on which the Interagency Working
Group submits to Congress the report required under
paragraph (1) begins.
(B) Requirement.--The strategic plan required under
subparagraph (A) shall include an assessment of the use
of existing Federal authorities and programs to protect
and restore coastal blue carbon ecosystems and identify
whether any additional such authorities or programs are
needed.
(C) Publication.--Not later than 90 days before the
Interagency Working Group submits to the appropriate
congressional committees each strategic plan under
subparagraph (A), the Interagency Working Group shall
publish each such strategic plan in the Federal
Register and provide an opportunity for submission of
public comments for a period of not less than 60 days.
SEC. 4. NATIONAL MAP AND INVENTORY OF COASTAL BLUE CARBON ECOSYSTEMS.
(a) In General.--The Interagency Working Group shall produce,
oversee, update not less than once every 5 years, and maintain a
national map and inventory of coastal blue carbon ecosystems,
including, with respect to each coastal blue carbon ecosystem--
(1) the species and each type of habitat in the coastal
blue carbon ecosystem;
(2) the condition of each such habitat, including whether
the habitat is minimally disturbed, degraded, drained,
eutrophic, or tidally restricted;
(3) the type of public or private ownership and any
protected status;
(4) the size;
(5) the salinity class;
(6) the tidal range;
(7) an assessment of carbon sequestration potential,
methane production, and net greenhouse gas reductions,
including--
(A) consideration of--
(i) quantification;
(ii) verifiability; and
(iii) the permanence of such carbon
sequestration potential, methane production,
and net greenhouse gas reductions; and
(B) comparison to a historical baseline, as
available;
(8) an assessment of the co-benefits associated with
restoration and carbon sequestration;
(9) the potential for landward migration as a result of sea
level rise;
(10) any upstream restrictions detrimental to the watershed
process and conditions of aquatic infrastructure, such as dams,
dikes, and levees;
(11) information regarding conversion to other land uses
and the cause of such conversion; and
(12) a depiction of the effects of climate change,
including sea level rise, and environmental and human stressors
on the carbon sequestration rate, carbon storage, and
greenhouse gas emissions.
(b) Requirements.--In carrying out subsection (a), the Interagency
Working Group shall--
(1) incorporate, to the extent possible, existing data
collected--
(A) through federally funded research; or
(B) by a Federal, State, local, or Tribal agency,
including data collected through--
(i) the Coastal Change Analysis Program of
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration;
(ii) the National Wetlands Inventory of the
United States Fish and Wildlife Service;
(iii) the LandCarbon program of the United
States Geological Survey;
(iv) the LiDar information coordination and
knowledge program of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency;
(v) the Biological and Environmental
Research program of the Department of Energy;
and
(vi) the National Coastal Blue Carbon
Assessment of the Department of Agriculture;
(2) procure, as the chair of the Interagency Working Group
determines necessary, new data related to coastal blue carbon
ecosystem mapping and inventorying;
(3) engage regional technical experts to accurately account
for regional differences in coastal blue carbon ecosystems; and
(4) leverage relevant resources and information through the
Marine Cadastre Hub and the National Marine Ecosystem Status
Website.
(c) Use.--The Interagency Working Group shall use the national map
and inventory produced under subsection (a)--
(1) to assess the carbon sequestration potential of
different coastal blue carbon ecosystems, and account for any
regional differences;
(2) to assess and quantify emissions from degraded and
destroyed coastal blue carbon ecosystems;
(3) to develop--
(A) regional assessments of the number of degraded
and destroyed coastal blue carbon ecosystems and
contributing factors to the degradation and destruction
of such coastal blue carbon ecosystems; and
(B) regionally specific recommendations for actions
to support the restoration of such coastal blue carbon
ecosystems;
(4) to provide to regional, State, local, and Tribal
agencies and regional coastal observing system entities
technical assistance, informed by the regional assessment
developed under paragraph (3), to develop coastal blue carbon
ecosystem restoration goals practices;
(5) to assess degraded coastal blue carbon ecosystems and
the potential restore such coastal blue carbon ecosystems,
including developing scenario modeling to identify vulnerable
areas where management, protection, and restoration efforts
should be focused;
(6) to produce future predictions of coastal blue carbon
ecosystems and carbon sequestration rates in the context of
climate change, environmental stressors, and human stressors;
(7) to inform the creation by the Administrator of the
Environmental Protection Agency of the annual Inventory of U.S.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks; and
(8) to develop, or scope development, of a coastal blue
carbon calculator that is capable of providing estimates of
carbon sequestration potential resulting from different
restoration actions in coastal blue carbon ecosystems.
SEC. 5. RESTORATION AND PROTECTIONS FOR EXISTING COASTAL BLUE CARBON
ECOSYSTEMS.
(a) In General.--The Undersecretary shall--
(1) coordinate monitoring and research efforts of coastal
blue carbon ecosystems among Federal agencies in cooperation
with State, local, and Tribal governments, international
partners, and nongovernmental organizations;
(2) establish a national goal for conserving coastal blue
carbon ecosystems within States and Tribal lands, and, as
appropriate, setting targets for the protection and restoration
of intact coastal blue carbon ecosystems and the restoration of
degraded coastal blue carbon ecosystems; and
(3) in coordination with the Interagency Working Group and
as informed by the report required under section 3(e)(1)--
(A) identify national coastal blue carbon ecosystem
protection and restoration priorities, including, as
applicable, the national priorities established under
section 3(d)(4), that would produce the highest rate of
carbon sequestration and greatest ecosystem benefits,
such as flood protection, soil and beach retention,
erosion reduction, biodiversity, water purification,
and nutrient cycling in the context of other
environmental stressors and climate change; and
(B) identify ways to improve coordination and to
prevent unnecessary duplication of effort among Federal
agencies and departments with respect to research on
coastal blue carbon ecosystems through existing and new
coastal management networks.
(b) Integrated Pilot Programs To Restore and Protect Degraded
Coastal Blue Carbon Ecosystems.--
(1) In general.--The Undersecretary, in coordination with
the Interagency Working Group, State, local, and Tribal
governments, and coastal stakeholders and as informed by the
report required under section 3(e)(1), shall carry out--
(A) a pilot program to protect intact coastal blue
carbon ecosystems; and
(B) a pilot program to restore degraded coastal
blue carbon ecosystems.
(2) Requirements.--In carrying out the pilot programs under
paragraph (1), the Undersecretary shall--
(A) integrate the pilot programs to allow for the
sharing of data, monitoring resources, and mapping
information between the pilot programs;
(B) develop best management practices, including
selection criteria for high-functioning coastal blue
carbon ecosystems in need of protection, design
criteria and performance functions for coastal blue
carbon ecosystem restoration, nature-based adaptation,
restoration areas that intersect with built
environments as green-gray infrastructure projects, and
management of landward progression or migration of
coastal blue carbon ecosystems;
(C) identify any barriers to efforts to restore
coastal blue carbon ecosystems;
(D) seek to increase long-term carbon sequestration
and storage in coastal blue carbon ecosystems;
(E) ensure that the pilot programs cover
geographically and ecologically diverse locations with
significant ecological, economic, and social benefits,
such as flood protection, soil and beach retention,
erosion reduction, biodiversity, water purification,
and nutrient cycling to reduce hypoxic conditions, and
maximum potential for greenhouse gas emission
reduction;
(F) ensure that the goals and metrics for the pilot
programs are communicated to the appropriate State,
Tribal, and local governments and to the general
public;
(G) coordinate with relevant Federal agencies on
the Interagency Working Group to prevent unnecessary
duplication of effort among Federal agencies and
departments with respect to coastal blue carbon
ecosystem restoration and protection programs;
(H) establish a procedure to review applications to
the pilot programs, taking into account--
(i) quantification of coastal blue carbon
ecosystem protection or restoration activities
and outcomes;
(ii) verifiability of net carbon
sequestration outcomes, including net climate
effects;
(iii) additionality of carbon sequestered
or emissions that are avoided as a result of
coastal blue carbon ecosystem protection or
restoration activities as compared to a
historical baseline, when feasible and
appropriate; and
(iv) permanence of the properties described
in clauses (i) through (iii); and
(I) give priority to applications that propose
restoration activities that the Undersecretary
determines would--
(i) result in long-term protection and
sequestration of carbon stored in coastal and
marine environments;
(ii) protect key habitats for fish,
wildlife, and maintenance of biodiversity;
(iii) provide coastal protection from
development, storms, flooding, and land-based
pollution;
(iv) protect coastal resources of national,
historical, and cultural significance; and
(v) benefit communities of color, low-
income communities, Tribal or Indigenous
communities, or rural communities.
(3) Report.--The Undersecretary shall submit to the
Interagency Working Group and the appropriate congressional
committees a report regarding the pilot programs carried out
under paragraph (1), including--
(A) the total number of acres of land or water
protected or restored through the pilot programs;
(B) the status of each project to restore degraded
coastal blue carbon ecosystems carried out under the
pilot programs; and
(C) the change in the potential of coastal blue
carbon ecosystems to sequester carbon associated with
each project to restore degraded coastal blue carbon
ecosystems carried out under the pilot programs.
SEC. 6. COASTAL CARBON DATA CLEARINGHOUSE.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, in
coordination with the Undersecretary and the Interagency Working Group,
shall establish and maintain the Coastal Carbon Data Clearinghouse to
provide for the long-term stewardship of, and access to, data relating
to national mapping of coastal blue carbon ecosystems, including by
leveraging resources developed by the Coastal Carbon Network of the
Smithsonian Institution.
(b) Requirements.--In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary of
the Smithsonian Institution, acting through the head of the Coastal
Carbon Data Clearinghouse and in coordination with the Undersecretary
and the Interagency Working Group, shall--
(1) to the greatest extent possible, process, store,
archive, provide access to, and incorporate all data collected
through federally funded research;
(2) to the greatest extent possible, incorporate existing
global and national data assets into the Coastal Carbon Data
Clearinghouse;
(3) establish standards, protocols, and procedures to
process, store, archive, and provide access to data in the
Coastal Carbon Data Clearinghouse and best practices to share
such data with Federal, State, and local agencies, Indian
Tribes, coastal stakeholders, non-Federal resource managers,
research institutions, universities, and nonprofit and private
organizations;
(4) to the greatest extent possible, disseminate to the
entities described in paragraph (3) data in the Coastal Carbon
Data Clearinghouse; and
(5) develop digital tools and resources to support the
public use of the Coastal Carbon Data Clearinghouse.
SEC. 7. NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES ASSESSMENT OF CONTAINMENT OF
CARBON DIOXIDE IN DEEP SEAFLOOR ENVIRONMENT.
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this
section, the Undersecretary shall seek to enter into an agreement with
the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct
a comprehensive assessment regarding the long-term effects of geologic
stores of carbon dioxide in a deep seafloor environment on oceanic and
climate conditions, including effects on marine species and ecosystems
and the efficacy of existing storage technologies.
SEC. 8. COASTAL BLUE CARBON INVENTORY PROGRAM.
(a) Program.--The Undersecretary, in coordination with the
Secretary of State, the Director of the White House Office of Science
and Technology Policy, the Secretary of the Interior, the Administrator
of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Secretary
of the Smithsonian Institution, shall establish the Coastal Blue Carbon
Inventory Program.
(b) Responsibilities.--In carrying out the Program, the
Undersecretary--
(1) shall--
(A) support domestic coastal blue carbon ecosystem
conservation activities;
(B) develop emissions mitigation, coastal resource
management, and resilience strategies related to carbon
storage and sequestration, including long-term
sustainable management of coastal blue carbon
ecosystems in the context of marine spatial and
resilience planning;
(C) assess coastal blue carbon ecosystem needs and
prioritize scope;
(D) build country-level awareness of benefits and
national priorities related to the restoration of
coastal blue carbon ecosystem and capacity to restore
coastal blue carbon ecosystems;
(E) address data and knowledge gaps related to--
(i) carbon sequestration rates of
ecologically distinct ecosystems; and
(ii) the role of vertically migrating
fishes, zooplankton, marine mammals, and
fisheries in the carbon cycle;
(F) expand data management tools;
(G) develop national and regional inventories of
coastal blue carbon ecosystems;
(H) provide to State, local, and Tribal governments
and other entities engaged in coastal blue carbon
ecosystem conservation, including universities,
research institutions, and private or nonprofit
organizations, technical assistance such as--
(i) country- and regional-level workshops
and trainings; and
(ii) assessments of carbon stocks and stock
changes; and
(I) maintain a publicly available digital library
of coastal blue carbon ecosystem data, which shall
include--
(i) open-source analysis and modeling
tools;
(ii) disaggregated soil carbon data
collected from coastal blue carbon ecosystems;
(iii) mapping resources to identify
protected coastal blue carbon ecosystems;
(iv) surveys of ongoing and completed
restoration projects in identified coastal blue
carbon ecosystems; and
(v) any other information the
Undersecretary determines necessary; and
(2) may, for any international research, data collection,
and technical assistance activities or any other activity the
Undersecretary determines appropriate, coordinate with existing
interagency efforts to inventory blue carbon.
(c) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date on which the
Program is established under subsection (a), and every 2 years
thereafter, the Undersecretary shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees a report that--
(1) describes the type and number of participants in the
Program;
(2) details each coastal blue carbon ecosystem inventoried
since the previous report;
(3) assesses barriers to providing quality technical
assistance to participants in the Program; and
(4) estimates the cost of the operation of the Program,
including digital library maintenance and technical assistance.
(d) Program Defined.--In this section, the term ``Program'' means
the Coastal Blue Carbon Inventory Program established under subsection
(a).
SEC. 9. ASSESSMENT OF COASTAL BLUE CARBON ECOSYSTEM CLIMATE
CONTRIBUTIONS.
(a) In General.--The Undersecretary, in collaboration with the
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and in
consultation with the Secretary of Energy, the Administrator of the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Secretary of
Agriculture, the Director of the National Science Foundation, and the
heads of other Federal agencies the Undersecretary determines
appropriate, shall conduct a measurements-based national assessment to
quantify the carbon sequestration potential of coastal blue carbon
ecosystems, including the net effects on and contributions to
atmospheric and aquatic accumulation of greenhouse gas emissions.
(b) Objectives.--In conducting the assessment required under
subsection (a), the Undersecretary shall--
(1) develop standardization metrics to quantify the carbon
sequestration potential of coastal blue carbon ecosystems,
including--
(A) surface area of coastal blue ecosystems;
(B) soil carbon density and accumulation rate;
(C) ecosystem-specific carbon cycles; and
(D) any other metrics the Undersecretary determines
appropriate;
(2) examine the climate contributions of released stored
carbon dioxide, methane, and other harmful greenhouse gases by
degraded coastal blue carbon ecosystems, including coastal blue
carbon ecosystems degraded or damaged by--
(A) coastal development;
(B) climate change; or
(C) other human activities;
(3) measure the amount of carbon removed from the
atmosphere by coastal restoration;
(4) understand measurable sensitivities of coastal blue
carbon ecosystems to natural disturbances and human land use
stressors;
(5) understand the complementary role that marine sediments
play in contributing to organic carbon accumulation,
including--
(A) relative rates of accumulation by different
sediment types;
(B) the relationship between marine sediment
surface area and organic carbon accumulation; and
(C) the effects of natural and human disturbances
of continental shelf and slope sediments on releasing
carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases
into the water column from marine sediments that are
rich in organic carbon, including--
(i) the amount of greenhouse gas released;
(ii) the period of time that released
greenhouse gases may remain in the water
column; and
(iii) the amount of released greenhouse
gases that may reach the atmosphere;
(6) develop standards for actionable data collection
methodologies and archive that are useful to inform coastal
management and policy decisions by State, local, and Tribal
governments, including--
(A) carbon accounting tools;
(B) field and laboratory protocols; and
(C) valuation metrics;
(7) evaluate the barriers and opportunities to conducting
data collection, assessment, project planning, and conservation
and restoration work for coastal blue carbon ecosystems with
State, local, and Tribal governments;
(8) determine the actions necessary to conduct national and
regional research and monitoring of post-restoration coastal
blue carbon ecosystems;
(9) assess the viability, barriers, and estimated
environmental, social, and economic value of establishing a
coastal blue carbon credit market for the purposes of
supporting coastal blue carbon ecosystem restoration
activities; and
(10) evaluate the current and potential opportunities to
coordinate coastal blue carbon ecosystem protection and
restoration activities, research, and climate impact
assessments with freshwater wetland ecosystem protection and
restoration activities, including swamps and marshes, in and
around the Great Lakes.
(c) Updates.--The Undersecretary, in collaboration with the
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and in
consultation with the Secretary of Energy, the Administrator of the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Secretary of
Agriculture, the Director of the National Science Foundation, and the
heads of other Federal agencies the Undersecretary determines
appropriate, shall update the assessment required under subsection (a)
every 2 years after the date of the enactment of this section--
(1) to provide long-term data access (and archive such
data), recommendations, measurements, and reporting regarding
the objectives described in subsection (b); and
(2) to consider objectives beyond those described in
subsection (b) the Undersecretary determines appropriate to
research the long-term climate contributions of coastal blue
carbon ecosystems.
(d) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the Undersecretary
completes the assessment required under subsection (a) or updates such
assessment under subsection (c), the Undersecretary shall submit to the
appropriate congressional committees a report describing the findings
and recommendations regarding the coastal blue carbon ecosystem climate
effects based on the assessment as they relate to the objectives
outlined in subsection (b).
SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Undersecretary to
carry out this Act $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through
2029.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Science, Space, and Technology, House Administration, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Science, Space, and Technology, House Administration, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Science, Space, and Technology, House Administration, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Science, Space, and Technology, House Administration, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
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