Sec. 71803. Restoration and protections for existing coastal blue carbon ecosystems
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The Administrator shall— lead the Interagency Working Group in implementing the strategic plan under section 71801(f)(2); coordinate monitoring and research efforts among Federal agencies in cooperation with State, local, and Tribal government and international partners and nongovernmental organizations; establish a national goal for conserving ocean and coastal blue carbon ecosystems within the territory of the United States, 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 71801(f) 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 and protection, 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, and increase long-term carbon sequestration and storage; 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, taking into account— quantification; verifiability; additionality as compared to a historical baseline, when feasible; and permanence of those benefits; 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; 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 and protection programs; give priority to proposed eligible restoration activities that would— result in long-term protection and sequestration of carbon stored in coastal and marine environments; protect key habitats for fish, wildlife, and the maintenance of biodiversity; provide coastal protection from development, storms, flooding, and land-based pollution; protect coastal resources of national, historical, and cultural significance; and benefit communities of color, low-income communities, Tribal or Indigenous communities, or rural communities; and report to the Interagency Working Group, and Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate on the total number of acres of land or water protected or restored through the program, the status of restoration projects, and the blue carbon sequestration potential of each restoration pilot project.