Title: Blue Carbon for Our Planet Act
Policy area: Environmental Protection

Summary:
Blue Carbon for Our Planet Act
This bill establishes the Interagency Working Group on Coastal Blue Carbon to (1) assess the impediments to the protection and restoration of coastal blue carbon ecosystems, and (2) establish national protection and restoration priorities regarding these areas. Coastal blue carbon ecosystems are vegetated coastal habitats and include mangroves, tidal marshes, and other tidal or salt water wetland that have the ability to sequester and store carbon.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3939 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3939

To establish the Interagency Working Group on Coastal Blue Carbon, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 11, 2020

Ms. Murkowski (for herself and Mr. Whitehouse) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish the Interagency Working Group on Coastal Blue Carbon, and 
                          for other purposes.

    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 ``Blue Carbon for Our Planet Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' 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.
            (2) Coastal blue carbon ecosystems.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``coastal blue carbon 
                ecosystems'' means vegetated coastal habitats, 
                including mangroves, tidal marshes, seagrasses, kelp 
                forests, and other tidal or salt-water wetlands, that 
                have the ability to sequester carbon from the 
                atmosphere, accumulate carbon in biomass for years to 
                decades, and store carbon in soils for centuries to 
                millennia.
                    (B) Inclusions.--The term ``coastal blue carbon 
                ecosystems'' includes autochthonous carbon and 
                allochthonous carbon.
            (3) Coastal carbon data clearinghouse.--The term ``Coastal 
        Carbon Data Clearinghouse'' means the Coastal Carbon Data 
        Clearinghouse operated by the Smithsonian Environmental 
        Research Center.
            (4) Interagency working group.--The term ``Interagency 
        Working Group'' means the Interagency Working Group on Coastal 
        Blue Carbon established under section 3(a).
            (5) State.--The term ``State'' means each State of the 
        United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of 
        Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the 
        Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands of the United 
        States, and any other territory or possession of the United 
        States.

SEC. 3. INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP ON COASTAL BLUE CARBON.

    (a) Establishment.--The Subcommittee on Ocean Science and 
Technology of the National Science and Technology Council shall 
establish an interagency working group, to be known as the 
``Interagency Working Group on Coastal Blue Carbon''.
    (b) Purposes.--The Interagency Working Group shall--
            (1) oversee the development of a national map of coastal 
        blue carbon ecosystems;
            (2) establish national restoration priorities for coastal 
        blue carbon ecosystems;
            (3) assess the biophysical, social, and economic 
        impediments to restoration of coastal blue carbon ecosystems;
            (4) study the effects of climate change and environmental 
        and human stressors on sequestration rates; and
            (5) preserve the continuity of coastal blue carbon data.
    (c) Membership.--The Interagency Working Group shall be comprised 
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; and
            (15) the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
    (d) Chairperson.--The Interagency Working Group shall be chaired by 
the Administrator.
    (e) Responsibilities.--The Interagency Working Group shall--
            (1) oversee the development, updates, and maintenance of a 
        national map and inventory of coastal blue carbon ecosystems, 
        including habitat types, with a regional focus in analysis that 
        is usable for local-level protection, planning, and 
        restoration;
            (2) develop a strategic assessment of the biophysical, 
        social, statutory, regulatory, and economic impediments to 
        protection and 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 
        sequestration rates and capabilities of coastal blue carbon 
        ecosystems protection;
            (4) establish national protection and restoration 
        priorities for coastal blue carbon ecosystems, including an 
        assessment of Federal funding being used for restoration 
        efforts; and
            (5) ensure the continuity, use, and interoperability of 
        data assets through the Coastal Carbon Data Clearinghouse.
    (f) Submissions to Congress.--
            (1) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act, the Interagency Working Group shall 
        submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
        Transportation of the Senate, the Committee on Science, Space, 
        and Technology of the House of Representatives, and the 
        Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives 
        a report containing the following:
                    (A) A summary of federally funded research, 
                monitoring, preservation, and restoration activities 
                relating to coastal blue carbon ecosystems, including--
                            (i) the budget for each such activity; and
                            (ii) a description of the progress made by 
                        each such activity in advancing the national 
                        priorities established under section 
                        5(a)(4)(A).
                    (B) An assessment of biophysical, social, 
                statutory, regulatory, and economic impediments to 
                restoration of coastal blue carbon ecosystems.
            (2) Strategic plan.--
                    (A) In general.--The Interagency Working Group 
                shall create 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 fiscal 
                year after the date on which the report is submitted 
                under paragraph (1) begins.
                    (B) Assessment.--The plan shall include an 
                assessment of the use of Federal programs existing as 
                of the date of the enactment of this Act to protect and 
                preserve coastal blue carbon ecosystems.
                    (C) Timing.--The Interagency Working Group shall--
                            (i) on a date that is not later than 1 year 
                        after the enactment of this Act and not earlier 
                        than the date on which the report is submitted 
                        under paragraph (1), submit to the Committee on 
                        Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
                        Senate, the Committee on Science, Space, and 
                        Technology of the House of Representatives, and 
                        the Committee on Natural Resources of the House 
                        of Representatives the strategic plan under 
                        subparagraph (A); and
                            (ii) submit a revised version of such plan 
                        not less frequently than once every 5 years 
                        thereafter.
                    (D) Federal register.--Not later than 90 days 
                before the date on which the strategic plan or any 
                revised version of such plan is submitted under 
                subparagraph (C), the Interagency Working Group shall--
                            (i) publish such plan in the Federal 
                        Register; and
                            (ii) 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, 
update, and maintain a national-level map and inventory of coastal blue 
carbon ecosystems, including--
            (1) the types of habitats and species in such ecosystems;
            (2) the condition of such habitats, including whether a 
        habitat is degraded, drained, eutrophic, or tidally restricted;
            (3) the size of such ecosystems;
            (4) the salinity boundaries of such ecosystems;
            (5) the tidal boundaries of such ecosystems;
            (6) an assessment of carbon sequestration potential, 
        methane production, and net greenhouse gas reductions with 
        respect to such ecosystems;
            (7) an assessment of cobenefits of ecosystem and carbon 
        sequestration;
            (8) the potential for landward migration as a result of sea 
        level rise;
            (9) any upstream restrictions detrimental to the watershed 
        process and conditions such as dams, dikes, and levees;
            (10) the conversion of such ecosystems to other land uses 
        and the cause of such conversion; and
            (11) a depiction of the effects of climate change, 
        including sea level rise, environmental stressors, and human 
        stressors on the sequestration rate, carbon storage, and 
        potential of such ecosystems.
    (b) Data Incorporation; Engagement.--In carrying out subsection 
(a), the Administrator shall--
            (1) incorporate, to the extent practicable, existing data, 
        as determined on the date of enactment of this Act, collected 
        through federally funded research by a Federal agency, State 
        agency, Tribe, or local agency, including data collected from--
                    (A) the Coastal Change Analysis Program of the 
                National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration;
                    (B) the National Wetlands Inventory of the United 
                States Fish and Wildlife Service;
                    (C) the Landcarbon program of the United States 
                Geological Survey; and
                    (D) the National Coastal Blue Carbon Assessment of 
                the Department of Agriculture; and
            (2) engage regional technical experts in order to 
        accurately account for regional differences in coastal blue 
        carbon ecosystems.
    (c) Use of Map and Inventory.--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 regional assessments and to provide 
        technical assistance to--
                    (A) regional, State, Tribal, and local government 
                agencies; and
                    (B) regional information coordination entities (as 
                defined in section 12303(6) of the Integrated Coastal 
                and Ocean Observation System Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 
                3602));
            (4) to assess degraded coastal blue carbon ecosystems and 
        the potential for restoration of such ecosystems, including 
        developing scenario modeling to identify vulnerable land areas 
        where management, protection, and restoration efforts should be 
        focused; and
            (5) to produce predictions relating to coastal blue carbon 
        ecosystems and carbon sequestration rates in the context of 
        climate change, environmental stressors, and human stressors.

SEC. 5. RESTORATION OF AND PROTECTIONS FOR EXISTING COASTAL BLUE CARBON 
              ECOSYSTEMS.

    (a) In General.--The Administrator shall--
            (1) lead the Interagency Working Group in implementing the 
        strategic plan under section 3(f)(2);
            (2) coordinate monitoring and research efforts among 
        Federal agencies in cooperation with State, Tribal, and local 
        governments, international partners, and nongovernmental 
        organizations;
            (3) assess the feasibility and potential of--
                    (A) establishing a national goal of conserving at 
                least 30 percent of the ocean and coastal blue carbon 
                ecosystems within the territory of the United States by 
                2030, including the effects of climate change and sea 
                level rise on such goal; and
                    (B) as appropriate, setting targets for restoration 
                of degraded coastal blue carbon ecosystems;
            (4) in coordination with the Interagency Working Group, and 
        as informed by the report under section 3(f)(1), identify--
                    (A) national protection and restoration priorities 
                for coastal blue carbon ecosystems 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) 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; and
            (5) in coordination with State, Tribal, and local 
        governments and coastal stakeholders, develop integrated pilot 
        programs to restore degraded coastal blue carbon ecosystems in 
        accordance with subsection (b).
    (b) Integrated Pilot Programs To Restore Degraded Coastal Blue 
Carbon Ecosystems.--
            (1) In general.--In carrying out subsection (a)(5), the 
        Administrator shall establish one or more integrated pilot 
        programs that--
                    (A) develop--
                            (i) best management practices, including 
                        design criteria and performance functions for 
                        restoration of coastal blue carbon ecosystems;
                            (ii) nature-based adaptation strategies;
                            (iii) restoration areas that intersect with 
                        built environments as green-gray infrastructure 
                        projects; and
                            (iv) management practices for landward 
                        progression or migration of coastal blue carbon 
                        ecosystems; and
                    (B) identify potential barriers to restoration 
                efforts.
            (2) Locations.--The Administrator shall ensure that pilot 
        programs under paragraph (1) cover geographically and 
        ecologically diverse locations with--
                    (A) 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
                    (B) maximum potential for greenhouse gas emission 
                reduction.
            (3) Application review.--The Administrator shall establish 
        a procedure for reviewing applications for pilot programs under 
        paragraph (1).
            (4) Communication.--The Administrator shall ensure, through 
        consultation with the Interagency Working Group, that the goals 
        and metrics for pilot programs under paragraph (1) are 
        communicated to the appropriate State, Tribal, and local 
        governments, and to the general public.
            (5) Coordination.--The Administrator shall coordinate with 
        relevant Federal agencies and departments specified under 
        section 3(c) to prevent unnecessary duplication of effort among 
        such agencies and departments with respect to restoration 
        programs.

SEC. 6. COASTAL CARBON DATA CLEARINGHOUSE.

    (a) Definition of Secretary.--In this section, the term 
``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.
    (b) In General.--The Secretary, in coordination with the 
Administrator and members of the Interagency Working Group, shall 
provide for the long-term stewardship of, and access to, data relating 
to coastal blue carbon ecosystems and national mapping, by supporting 
the maintenance of the Coastal Carbon Data Clearinghouse.
    (c) Coastal Carbon Data Clearinghouse Duties.--The Secretary, in 
coordination with the Administrator and members of the Interagency 
Working Group, shall, through the Coastal Carbon Data Clearinghouse, 
process, store, archive, provide access to, and incorporate (to the 
extent practicable) all data relating to coastal carbon collected 
through federally funded research by a Federal agency, State, Tribe, or 
local agency, an academic institution, or another relevant entity.
    (d) Global and National Data Assets.--The Secretary, in 
coordination with the Administrator and members of the Interagency 
Working Group, shall ensure that existing global and national data 
assets, as determined on the date of enactment of this Act, are 
incorporated into the Coastal Carbon Data Clearinghouse, to the 
greatest extent practicable.
    (e) Establishment of Standards, Protocols, and Procedure.--The 
Secretary, in coordination with the Administrator and members of the 
Interagency Working Group, shall establish--
            (1) standards, protocols, and procedures for the 
        processing, storing, and archiving of, and providing access to, 
        data in the Coastal Carbon Data Clearinghouse; and
            (2) best practices for sharing such data with State, local, 
        and Tribal governments, coastal stakeholders, non-Federal 
        resource managers, and academia.
    (f) Dissemination; Digital Tools and Resources.--
            (1) Dissemination.--The Administrator shall work to 
        disseminate the data available through the Coastal Carbon Data 
        Clearinghouse to the greatest extent practicable.
            (2) Digital tools and resources.--The Secretary, in 
        coordination with the Administrator and members of the 
        Interagency Working Group, shall develop digital tools and 
        resources to support the public use of the Coastal Carbon Data 
        Clearinghouse.

SEC. 7. NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES ASSESSMENTS OF CARBON DIOXIDE 
              STORAGE IN DEEP SEAFLOOR ENVIRONMENTS AND OF COASTAL 
              CARBON MARKETS.

    Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Administrator shall seek to enter into an agreement with the 
National Academy of Sciences to conduct--
            (1) a comprehensive assessment of--
                    (A) the long-term effects of containment of carbon 
                dioxide in a deep seafloor environment on marine 
                ecosystems; and
                    (B) the integrity of existing storage technologies, 
                as determined on the date of enactment of this Act;
            (2) a comprehensive assessment of pathways, methods, and 
        technologies able to directly remove carbon dioxide from the 
        oceans by the removal of dissolved carbon dioxide from seawater 
        through engineered or inorganic processes, including filters, 
        membranes, phase change systems, or other technological 
        pathways; and
            (3) a comprehensive assessment of the viability of using 
        coastal macroalgae cultivation and sustainable coastal wetlands 
        management and restoration for carbon sequestration, which 
        shall consider--
                    (A) environmental and economic effects on coastal 
                communities;
                    (B) durability and cost per ton of carbon dioxide 
                sequestered using coastal macroalgae cultivation and 
                sustainable coastal wetlands management in a variety of 
                regions of the United States, including Alaska, the 
                Gulf Coast, the Mid-Atlantic, and the Pacific 
                Northwest;
                    (C) research, data, resource management, 
                monitoring, reporting, and verification improvements 
                necessary to develop a carbon market around coastal 
                macroalgae cultivation and sustainable coastal wetlands 
                management or restoration; and
                    (D) relevant successes and failures of carbon 
                markets in agriculture, forestry, and wetlands and how 
                such successes and failures might apply to a future 
                coastal carbon market.

SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator to 
carry out this Act $15,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2021 
through 2025.
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