Healthy Soils and Rangelands Solutions Act

To establish a carbon sequestration pilot program under which the Secretary of the Interior may make grants for projects to evaluate methods to increase the amount of carbon captured on qualified public lands in order to achieve a wide range of benefits, including reductions in greenhouse gases, increased water retention and water quality in watersheds, nutrient cycling, reduced erosion, and forage quality. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Healthy Soils and Rangelands Solutions Act 2. Carbon Sequestration Pilot Program (a) Program required Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Land Management, shall establish a Carbon Sequestration Pilot Program to make grants to eligible entities for projects to carry out eligible activities. (b) Science advisory board As part of the program, the Secretary shall establish a science advisory board to provide analysis and recommendations regarding— (1) the selection of eligible entities and eligible activities to receive grants under the program, based on the best available science; and (2) appropriate monitoring requirements to be required under subsection (c). (c) Monitoring and reporting As a condition of a grant under the program, the grant recipient shall comply with monitoring and reporting requirements to quantify project performance and communicate results. (d) Innovation competition (1) In general The Secretary shall make grants, through a challenge competition, to eligible entities for projects to carry out innovative approaches to eligible activities. (2) Listing The Secretary shall list the challenge competition under this subsection on www.challenge.gov (or any successor website of the Federal Government that lists challenge competitions run by Federal agencies). (e) Outreach, education, and technical assistance The Secretary— (1) may provide technical assistance for eligible activities; and (2) shall expand outreach and education with respect to carbon sequestration and best practices related to eligible activities. (f) Acceptance of Outside funds The Secretary may accept nonappropriated funds, including funds from other public sources, private companies, nonprofit organizations, or foundations, to carry out the program. (g) Reports to Congress With respect to each project administered under the program, not later than three years after the awarding of the grant, at least every two years thereafter for the duration of the project, and not later than 180 days after the completion of the project, the Secretary, working with grantees and any other agencies of jurisdiction shall submit a report to Congress detailing— (1) the progress and accomplishments of the project in general; (2) a detailed summary and estimate of the volume of carbon sequestered due to project activities; (3) a summary of education and outreach efforts related to the project; and (4) a set of recommendations for land management best practices based on the outcome of the project. (h) Definitions For the purposes of this section: (1) Biochar The term biochar (2) Compost The term compost (3) Eligible activity The term eligible activity (A) grazing practices; (B) restoring degraded qualified public lands; (C) application of compost on qualified public lands; or (D) using biochar as an amendment on qualified public lands. (4) Eligible entity The term eligible entity (5) Program The term program (6) Qualified public lands The term qualified public lands (7) Secretary The term Secretary

Summary: Healthy Soils and Rangelands Solutions Act This bill directs the Department of the Interior, through the Bureau of Land Management, to establish a Carbon Sequestration Pilot Program to make grants to owners or operators of qualified public lands, universities, nongovernmental organizations, or Indian tribes for projects for sequestering carbon through: grazing practices, restoring degraded qualified public lands, application of compost on qualified public lands, or using biochar (carbonized biomass) as an amendment on qualified public lands. Interior shall establish a science advisory board to furnish analysis and recommendations regarding: the selection of such eligible entities and activities to receive grants based on the best available science, and appropriate monitoring requirements to quantify project performance and communicate results. Interior shall make grants, through a challenge competition, to eligible entities for projects to carry out innovative approaches to eligible activities. Interior: may furnish technical assistance for eligible activities, and shall expand outreach and education respecting carbon sequestration and best practices related to those activities.