mines appropriate to protect the blue carbon area of sig-
nificance. 
(h) REQUIREMENT FOR AUTHORIZATION OR APPRO-
PRIATION.—Each request for a new authorization or ap-
propriation from a Federal agency transmitted to the Of-
fice of Management and Budget shall include, if such au-
thorization or appropriation may affect a blue carbon area 
of significance, a certification that the Federal agency will 
use such authorization or appropriation in compliance 
with this section. 
(i) EXCEPTION.—Preparation, revision, implementa-
tion, or enforcement of a fishery management plan under 
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Manage-
ment Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) that applies to an area 
that is subject to a prohibition on all bottom-tending fish-
ing gear shall not be treated as a proposed action that 
is subject to subsection (f). 
(j) USE
OF CERTAIN PROGRAMS.—The Adminis-
trator shall use programs administered by the Adminis-
trator to carry out this section and ensure the conserva-
tion and enhancement of each blue carbon area of signifi-
cance. 
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SEC. 5. FEDERAL COASTAL AND MARINE RESTORATION 
AND PROTECTION ACTIVITIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the United States 
Fish and Wildlife Service, the Director of the National 
Park Service, and the Administrator shall each conduct 
coastal and marine restoration and protection activities on 
land and water managed by each such agency sufficient 
to achieve at least 1 of the following: 
(1) The sequestration of additional atmospheric 
carbon dioxide through— 
(A) the restoration of degraded blue car-
bon ecosystems; and 
(B) the protection of threatened blue car-
bon ecosystems. 
(2) The halting of ongoing carbon dioxide emis-
sions within the area in which the activities are car-
ried out, and the resumption of the natural rate of 
carbon sequestration of the area, through the res-
toration of drained coastal wetlands. 
(3) The halting of ongoing methane emissions 
within the area in which the activities are carried 
out, and the resumption of the natural rate of car-
bon sequestration of the area, through the restora-
tion of impounded wetlands. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to each of the Director of 
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the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Director 
of the National Park Service, and the Administrator to 
carry out this section $200,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2025 through 2029. 
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Admin-
istrator to carry out sections 1 through 5 of this Act 
$16,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 to 2029. 
SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Under Secretary of Commerce for 
Oceans and Atmosphere in the Under Secretary’s 
capacity as Administrator of the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration. 
(2) BIOLOGICAL CARBON STORAGE.—The term 
‘‘biological carbon storage’’ means the storage of at-
mospheric carbon dioxide in vegetation, soils, woody 
products, and aquatic environments. 
(3) BLUE CARBON.—The term ‘‘blue carbon’’ 
means atmospheric carbon dioxide sequestered by 
the ocean or a blue carbon ecosystem. 
(4) BLUE CARBON AREA OF SIGNIFICANCE.— 
The term ‘‘blue carbon area of significance’’ means 
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an area designated by the Administrator under sec-
tion 4 as a blue carbon area of significance. 
(5) BLUE
CARBON
ECOSYSTEM.—The term 
‘‘blue carbon ecosystem’’ means a vegetated coastal 
habitat, 
including 
mangroves, 
tidal 
marshes, 
seagrasses, kelp forests, and other tidal- or salt- 
water wetlands, that has the capacity to sequester 
atmospheric carbon dioxide for a period of not less 
than 100 years. 
(6) BLUE CARBON STOCKS.—The term ‘‘blue 
carbon stocks’’ means coastal and marine vegetation 
and wildlife, and underlying sediment, that have the 
capacity to sequester and store atmospheric carbon 
dioxide. 
(7) CARBON SEQUESTRATION.—The term ‘‘car-
bon sequestration’’ means the process of capturing 
and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide. 
(8) CARBON
SINK.—The term ‘‘carbon sink’’ 
means a natural or artificial system that absorbs 
more atmospheric carbon dioxide than it releases. 
(9) CARBON
STORAGE.—The term ‘‘carbon 
storage’’ means the storing of sequestered atmos-
pheric carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere in bio-
genic material or sediment. 
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(10) COASTAL
STATE.—The term ‘‘coastal 
State’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘coastal 
state’’ in section 304 of the Coastal Zone Manage-
ment Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1453). 
(11) COASTAL ZONE.—The term ‘‘coastal zone’’ 
has the meaning given the term in section 304 of the 
Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 
1453). 
(12) ECOSYSTEM SERVICES.—The term ‘‘eco-
system services’’ means the direct and indirect bene-
fits that ecosystems provide to humans. 
(13) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible en-
tity’’ means— 
(A) a private landowner or group of land-
owners; 
(B) a State agency that manages natural 
resources or wildlife; 
(C) an Indian Tribe; 
(D) a unit of local government; 
(E) a nonprofit organization or land trust; 
(F) an institution of higher education and 
research; or 
(G) any group of entities described in sub-
paragraphs (A) through (F). 
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(14) GRANT PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘grant pro-
gram’’ means the Blue Carbon Partnership Grant 
Program established under section 3(a). 
(15) IMPOUNDED WETLAND.—The term ‘‘im-
pounded wetland’’ means an area that was a tidal 
wetland but, as a result of a loss of tidal 
connectivity, has become a freshwater wetland. 
(16) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian Tribe’’ 
has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the 
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 
Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). 
(17) MARINE BLUE CARBON.—The term ‘‘ma-
rine blue carbon’’ means carbon dioxide sequestered 
in pelagic and deep sea ecosystems, including in 
sediments and through the ecosystem impacts of ma-
rine wildlife. 
(18) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘Program’’ means 
the Blue Carbon Program established under section 
2(a). 
Æ 
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