I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 9912 
To require the Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology of the Na-
tional Science and Technology Council to establish the Interagency Work-
ing 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 At-
mospheric Administration to carry out pilot programs to protect intact 
and restore degraded coastal blue carbon ecosystems, require the Sec-
retary 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 fol-
lowing 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 con-
cerned 
A BILL 
To require the Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Tech-
nology of the National Science and Technology Council 
to establish the Interagency Working Group on Coastal 
Blue Carbon, require the Interagency Working Group 
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to produce a national map and inventory of coastal blue 
carbon ecosystems, require the Administrator of the Na-
tional 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 con-
duct an assessment regarding geologic stores of carbon 
dioxide, require the Administrator to establish the Coast-
al Blue Carbon Inventory Program, and require the Ad-
ministrator 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 Representa-
tives 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
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means— 
(A) the Committees on Natural Resources 
and Science, Space, and Technology of the 
House of Representatives; and 
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(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-domi-
nated or -forested tidal swamp, a kelp forest, a 
tidal mudflat, seagrass, coastal subtidal sedi-
ment, and other tidal freshwater, brackish, or 
salt-water wetlands, that has the ability to se-
quester carbon from the atmosphere, accumu-
late 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 Inter-
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agency Working Group on Coastal Blue Carbon es-
tablished 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 
‘‘Sub-
committee’’ means the Subcommittee on Ocean 
Science and Technology of the National Science and 
Technology Council. 
(8) UNDERSECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Undersec-
retary’’ means the Under Secretary of Commerce for 
Oceans and Atmosphere in the Under Secretary’s 
capacity as the Administrator of the National Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Administration. 
SEC. 3. INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP ON COASTAL BLUE 
CARBON. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Subcommittee shall es-
tablish an Interagency Working Group on Coastal Blue 
Carbon to coordinate Federal efforts to research, monitor, 
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identify, map, protect, and restore coastal blue carbon eco-
systems, 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 Ad-
ministration; 
(2) the Environmental Protection Agency; 
(3) the National Science Foundation; 
(4) the National Aeronautics and Space Admin-
istration; 
(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; 
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(15) the Department of State; 
(16) the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency; 
(17) the Office of Science and Technology Pol-
icy; 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, over-
see, update, and maintain a national map and inven-
tory of coastal blue carbon ecosystems, including in-
formation required under that section. 
(2) Develop a strategic assessment of the bio-
physical, chemical, economic, regulatory, social, and 
statutory impediments, including regionally specific 
opportunities to reduce such impediments and facili-
tating 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, in-
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cluding lateral carbon fluxes, and greenhouse gas 
emissions in coastal blue carbon ecosystems. 
(4) Establish national protection and restora-
tion priorities for coastal blue carbon ecosystems, in-
cluding an assessment of Federal funding being used 
for restoration efforts with respect to coastal blue 
carbon ecosystems. 
(5) With other Federal agencies and users, en-
sure the continuity, use, and interoperability of rel-
evant 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 Inter-
agency Working Group shall submit to the appro-
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priate congressional committees a report regarding 
the activities carried out by the Interagency Working 
Group under subsection (d), including the following: 
(A) Information regarding activities, chal-
lenges, analyses, and additional work and re-
search needed with respect to such activities. 
(B) A summary of each federally funded 
coastal blue carbon ecosystem research, moni-
toring, protection, and restoration activity, in-
cluding— 
(i) the budget for each such activity; 
and 
(ii) a description of the progress made 
by each such activity in advancing the na-
tional 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 car-
bon 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 
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Working Group submits the report required 
under paragraph (1), and not less than once 
every 5 years thereafter, the Interagency Work-
ing Group shall submit to the appropriate con-
gressional committees a strategic plan for Fed-
eral investments in basic research, development, 
demonstration, long-term monitoring and stew-
ardship, and deployment of coastal blue carbon 
ecosystem projects for the 5-year period begin-
ning 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 au-
thorities and programs to protect and restore 
coastal blue carbon ecosystems and identify 
whether any additional such authorities or pro-
grams are needed. 
(C) PUBLICATION.—Not later than 90 
days before the Interagency Working Group 
submits to the appropriate congressional com-
mittees each strategic plan under subparagraph 
(A), the Interagency Working Group shall pub-
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lish each such strategic plan in the Federal 
Register and provide an opportunity for submis-
sion 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, de-
graded, 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 po-
tential, methane production, and net greenhouse gas 
reductions, including— 
(A) consideration of— 
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(i) quantification; 
(ii) verifiability; and 
(iii) the permanence of such carbon 
sequestration potential, methane produc-
tion, 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 in-
frastructure, 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— 
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(A) through federally funded research; or 
(B) by a Federal, State, local, or Tribal 
agency, including data collected through— 
(i) the Coastal Change Analysis Pro-
gram of the National Oceanic and Atmos-
pheric 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 coordina-
tion 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 Agri-
culture; 
(2) procure, as the chair of the Interagency 
Working Group determines necessary, new data re-
lated to coastal blue carbon ecosystem mapping and 
inventorying; 
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(3) engage regional technical experts to accu-
rately 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 ac-
count for any regional differences; 
(2) to assess and quantify emissions from de-
graded and destroyed coastal blue carbon eco-
systems; 
(3) to develop— 
(A) regional assessments of the number of 
degraded and destroyed coastal blue carbon eco-
systems and contributing factors to the deg-
radation 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; 
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(4) to provide to regional, State, local, and 
Tribal agencies and regional coastal observing sys-
tem entities technical assistance, informed by the re-
gional assessment developed under paragraph (3), to 
develop coastal blue carbon ecosystem restoration 
goals practices; 
(5) to assess degraded coastal blue carbon eco-
systems and the potential restore such coastal blue 
carbon ecosystems, including developing scenario 
modeling to identify vulnerable areas where manage-
ment, 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 an-
nual Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions 
and Sinks; and 
(8) to develop, or scope development, of a coast-
al blue carbon calculator that is capable of providing 
estimates of carbon sequestration potential resulting 
from different restoration actions in coastal blue car-
bon ecosystems. 
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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 nongovern-
mental 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 Work-
ing 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 sequestra-
tion and greatest ecosystem benefits, such as 
flood protection, soil and beach retention, ero-
sion reduction, biodiversity, water purification, 
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and nutrient cycling in the context of other en-
vironmental 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 eco-
systems through existing and new coastal man-
agement networks. 
(b) INTEGRATED PILOT PROGRAMS TO RESTORE 
AND PROTECT DEGRADED COASTAL BLUE CARBON ECO-
SYSTEMS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Undersecretary, in co-
ordination 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 coast-
al 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, 
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and mapping information between the pilot pro-
grams; 
(B) develop best management practices, in-
cluding selection criteria for high-functioning 
coastal blue carbon ecosystems in need of pro-
tection, design criteria and performance func-
tions for coastal blue carbon ecosystem restora-
tion, 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 re-
store coastal blue carbon ecosystems; 
(D) seek to increase long-term carbon se-
questration 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 re-
duce hypoxic conditions, and maximum poten-
tial for greenhouse gas emission reduction; 
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(F) ensure that the goals and metrics for 
the pilot programs are communicated to the ap-
propriate State, Tribal, and local governments 
and to the general public; 
(G) coordinate with relevant Federal agen-
cies on the Interagency Working Group to pre-
vent 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 appli-
cations to the pilot programs, taking into ac-
count— 
(i) quantification of coastal blue car-
bon ecosystem protection or restoration ac-
tivities and outcomes; 
(ii) verifiability of net carbon seques-
tration outcomes, including net climate ef-
fects; 
(iii) additionality of carbon seques-
tered or emissions that are avoided as a re-
sult of coastal blue carbon ecosystem pro-
tection or restoration activities as com-
pared to a historical baseline, when feasible 
and appropriate; and 
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(iv) permanence of the properties de-
scribed in clauses (i) through (iii); and 
(I) give priority to applications that pro-
pose restoration activities that the Undersecre-
tary determines would— 
(i) result in long-term protection and 
sequestration of carbon stored in coastal 
and marine environments; 
(ii) protect key habitats for fish, wild-
life, and maintenance of biodiversity; 
(iii) provide coastal protection from 
development, storms, flooding, and land- 
based pollution; 
(iv) protect coastal resources of na-
tional, 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 appro-
priate congressional committees a report regarding 
the pilot programs carried out under paragraph (1), 
including— 
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(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 as-
sociated 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 main-
tain 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, in-
cluding 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 Clearing-
house and in coordination with the Undersecretary and 
the Interagency Working Group, shall— 
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(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 proce-
dures 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, re-
search 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 sup-
port 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 enact-
ment of this section, the Undersecretary shall seek to 
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enter into an agreement with the National Academies of 
Science, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a com-
prehensive assessment regarding the long-term effects of 
geologic stores of carbon dioxide in a deep seafloor envi-
ronment on oceanic and climate conditions, including ef-
fects 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 Sec-
retary 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 Pro-
gram, 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, in-
cluding long-term sustainable management of 
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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 bene-
fits and national priorities related to the res-
toration of coastal blue carbon ecosystem and 
capacity to restore coastal blue carbon eco-
systems; 
(E) address data and knowledge gaps re-
lated to— 
(i) carbon sequestration rates of eco-
logically 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 inven-
tories of coastal blue carbon ecosystems; 
(H) provide to State, local, and Tribal gov-
ernments and other entities engaged in coastal 
blue carbon ecosystem conservation, including 
universities, research institutions, and private 
or nonprofit organizations, technical assistance 
such as— 
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(i) country- and regional-level work-
shops and trainings; and 
(ii) assessments of carbon stocks and 
stock changes; and 
(I) maintain a publicly available digital li-
brary of coastal blue carbon ecosystem data, 
which shall include— 
(i) open-source analysis and modeling 
tools; 
(ii) disaggregated soil carbon data col-
lected 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 Under-
secretary determines necessary; and 
(2) may, for any international research, data 
collection, and technical assistance activities or any 
other activity the Undersecretary determines appro-
priate, 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), 
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and every 2 years thereafter, the Undersecretary shall 
submit to the appropriate congressional committees a re-
port that— 
(1) describes the type and number of partici-
pants in the Program; 
(2) details each coastal blue carbon ecosystem 
inventoried since the previous report; 
(3) assesses barriers to providing quality tech-
nical 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 ECO-
SYSTEM CLIMATE CONTRIBUTIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Undersecretary, in collabora-
tion with the Administrator of the Environmental Protec-
tion Agency, and in consultation with the Secretary of En-
ergy, 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 deter-
mines appropriate, shall conduct a measurements-based 
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national assessment to quantify the carbon sequestration 
potential of coastal blue carbon ecosystems, including the 
net effects on and contributions to atmospheric and aquat-
ic accumulation of greenhouse gas emissions. 
(b) OBJECTIVES.—In conducting the assessment re-
quired 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 eco-
systems; 
(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 re-
leased 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; 
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(3) measure the amount of carbon removed 
from the atmosphere by coastal restoration; 
(4) understand measurable sensitivities of 
coastal blue carbon ecosystems to natural disturb-
ances 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 dif-
ferent sediment types; 
(B) the relationship between marine sedi-
ment surface area and organic carbon accumu-
lation; and 
(C) the effects of natural and human dis-
turbances of continental shelf and slope sedi-
ments on releasing carbon dioxide, methane, 
and other greenhouse gases into the water col-
umn from marine sediments that are rich in or-
ganic carbon, including— 
(i) the amount of greenhouse gas re-
leased; 
(ii) the period of time that released 
greenhouse gases may remain in the water 
column; and 
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(iii) the amount of released green-
house gases that may reach the atmos-
phere; 
(6) develop standards for actionable data collec-
tion methodologies and archive that are useful to in-
form 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 plan-
ning, 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 estab-
lishing a coastal blue carbon credit market for the 
purposes of supporting coastal blue carbon eco-
system restoration activities; and 
(10) evaluate the current and potential opportu-
nities to coordinate coastal blue carbon ecosystem 
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protection and restoration activities, research, and 
climate impact assessments with freshwater wetland 
ecosystem protection and restoration activities, in-
cluding 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 ap-
propriate, shall update the assessment required under sub-
section (a) every 2 years after the date of the enactment 
of this section— 
(1) to provide long-term data access (and ar-
chive such data), recommendations, measurements, 
and reporting regarding the objectives described in 
subsection (b); and 
(2) to consider objectives beyond those de-
scribed in subsection (b) the Undersecretary deter-
mines appropriate to research the long-term climate 
contributions of coastal blue carbon ecosystems. 
(d) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the Un-
dersecretary completes the assessment required under sub-
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section (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 Un-
dersecretary to carry out this Act $15,000,000 for each 
of fiscal years 2025 through 2029. 
Æ 
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