256 
search and development program to encourage new forest- 
to-energy technologies. The Secretary may use grants, co-
operative agreements, and other methods to partner with 
cooperating entities on projects that the Secretary deter-
mines shall best promote new forest-to-energy tech-
nologies. 
‘‘(b) PRIORITY FOR PROJECT SELECTION.—The Sec-
retary shall give priority to projects that— 
‘‘(1) develop technology and techniques to use 
low value forest materials, such as byproducts of for-
est health treatments and hazardous fuel reduction, 
for the production of energy; 
‘‘(2) develop processes for the conversion of cel-
lulosic forest materials that integrate production of 
energy into existing manufacturing steams or in in-
tegrated forest biorefineries; 
‘‘(3) develop new transportation fuels that use 
forest materials as a feedstock for the production of 
such fuels; or 
‘‘(4) improve the of growth and yield of trees 
for the purpose of renewable energy and other forest 
product use. 
‘‘(c) FUNDING.—Of the funds of the Commodity 
Credit Corporation, the Secretary of Agriculture shall 
make available to carry out this section— 
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‘‘(1) $4,000,000 for fiscal year 2008; 
‘‘(2) $6,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; 
‘‘(3) $7,000,000 for fiscal year 2010; 
‘‘(4) $9,000,000 for fiscal year 2011; and 
‘‘(5) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2012.’’. 
TITLE VI—CARBON-NEUTRAL 
GOVERNMENT 
SEC. 6001. SHORT TITLE. 
This title may be cited as the ‘‘Carbon-Neutral Gov-
ernment Act of 2007’’. 
SEC. 6002. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds the following: 
(1) The harms associated with global warming 
are serious and well recognized. These include the 
global retreat of mountain glaciers, reduction in 
snow cover extent, the earlier spring melting of riv-
ers and lakes, the accelerated rate of rise of sea lev-
els during the 20th century relative to the past few 
thousand years, and increased intensity of hurri-
canes and typhoons. 
(2) The risks associated with a global mean 
surface temperature increase above 2 °C (3.6 °F) 
above preindustrial temperature are grave. Accord-
ing to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate 
Change, such temperature increases would increase 
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(B) promulgate regulations to integrate 
the participation of non-Federal assets into the 
System and enter into and oversee contracts 
and agreements with Regional Information Co-
ordination Entities to effect this purpose; 
(C) implement a competitive funding proc-
ess for the purpose of assigning contracts and 
agreements to Regional Information Coordina-
tion Entities; 
(D) certify or establish Regional Informa-
tion Coordination Entities to coordinate State, 
Federal, local, and private interests at a re-
gional level with the responsibility of engaging 
private and public sectors in designing, oper-
ating, and improving regional coastal and ocean 
observing systems in order to ensure the provi-
sion of data and information that meet the 
needs of user groups from the respective re-
gions; 
(E) formulate a process by which gaps in 
observation coverage or needs for capital im-
provements of Federal assets and non-Federal 
assets of the System can be identified by the 
Regional Information Coordination Entities, the 
Administrator, or other members of the System 
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and transmitted to the Interagency Working 
Group; 
(F) be responsible for the coordination, 
storage, management, and dissemination of ob-
servation data gathered through the System to 
all end-user communities; 
(G) implement a program of public edu-
cation and outreach to improve public aware-
ness of global climate change and effects on the 
ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes environment; 
and 
(H) report annually to the Council through 
the Interagency Working Group on the accom-
plishments, operational needs, and performance 
of the System to achieve the purposes of this 
title and the System Plan. 
(4) REGIONAL
INFORMATION
COORDINATION 
ENTITY.—To be certified or established under para-
graph (3)(D), a Regional Information Coordination 
Entity must be certified or established by contract 
or agreement by the Administrator, and must agree 
to— 
(A) gather required System observation 
data and other requirements specified under 
this section and the System plan; 
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404 
(B) identify gaps in observation coverage 
or needs for capital improvements of Federal 
assets and non-Federal assets of the System, 
and transmit such information to the Inter-
agency Working Group via the Administrator; 
(C) demonstrate an organizational struc-
ture and strategic operational plan to ensure 
the efficient and effective administration of pro-
grams and assets to support daily data observa-
tions for integration into the System; 
(D) comply with all financial oversight re-
quirements established by the Administrator, 
including requirements relating to audits; and 
(E) demonstrate a capability to work with 
other governmental and nongovernmental enti-
ties at all levels to identify and provide informa-
tion products of the System for multiple users 
within the service area of the Regional Informa-
tion Coordination Entities and otherwise. 
(5) SYSTEM ADVISORY COMMITTEE.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Administrator 
shall establish a System Advisory Committee, 
which shall provide advice as may be requested 
by the Administrator or the Interagency Work-
ing Group. 
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(B) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Sys-
tem Advisory Committee is to advise the Ad-
ministrator and the Interagency Working Group 
on— 
(i) administration, operation, manage-
ment, and maintenance of the System, in-
cluding integration of Federal and non- 
Federal assets and data management and 
communication aspects of the System, and 
fulfillment of the purposes specified under 
subsection (b); 
(ii) expansion and periodic moderniza-
tion and upgrade of technology components 
of the System; 
(iii) identification of end-user commu-
nities, their needs for information provided 
by the System, and the System’s effective-
ness in disseminating information to end- 
user communities and the general public; 
and 
(iv) any other purpose identified by 
the Administrator or the Interagency 
Working Group. 
(C) MEMBERS.— 
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