Sec. 4. Restoration and protections for existing coastal blue carbon ecosystems
411 words·~2 min read·
/bill/116/hr/5589/ih/section-4·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
The Administrator shall— lead the Interagency Working Group in implementing the strategic plan under section 2(e)(2); coordinate monitoring and research efforts among Federal agencies in cooperation with State, local, and Tribal government and international partners and nongovernmental organizations; assess the feasibility and potential of 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 as appropriate setting targets for restoration of degraded coastal blue carbon ecosystems; in coordination with the Interagency Working Group and as informed by the report under section 2(e) on current Federal expenditures on coastal blue carbon ecosystem restoration, identify— national coastal blue carbon ecosystem protection and restoration priorities 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 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 in coordination with State, local, and Tribal governments and coastal stakeholders, develop integrated pilot programs to restore degraded coastal blue carbon ecosystems in accordance with subsection (b).
In carrying out subsection (a)(5), the Administrator shall— establish integrated pilot programs that develop best management practices, including design criteria and performance functions for coastal blue carbon ecosystem restoration, nature-based adaptation strategies, restoration areas that intersect with the built environments as green-gray infrastructure projects, management practices for landward progression or migration of coastal blue carbon ecosystems, and identify potential barriers to restoration efforts; 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 reduce hypoxic conditions, and maximum potential for greenhouse gas emission reduction; establish a procedure for reviewing applications for the pilot program; ensure, through consultation with the Interagency Working Group, that the goals and metrics for the pilot programs are communicated to the appropriate State, Tribe, and local governments, and to the general public; and coordinate with relevant Federal agencies on the Interagency Working Group to prevent unnecessary duplication of effort among Federal agencies and departments with respect to restoration programs.