[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2991 Reported in Senate (RS)]
<DOC>
Calendar No. 594
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2991
To improve revegetation and carbon sequestration activities in the
United States, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 28 (legislative day, September 22), 2023
Mr. Manchin (for himself, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. King, and Mr. Marshall)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
November 21, 2024
Reported by Mr. Manchin, with an amendment
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To improve revegetation and carbon sequestration activities in the
United States, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``America's
Revegetation and Carbon Sequestration Act of 2023''.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (b) Title of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act
is as follows:</DELETED>
<DELETED>Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
<DELETED>Sec. 2. Findings.
<DELETED>Sec. 3. Definitions.
<DELETED>TITLE I--REVEGETATION
<DELETED>Sec. 101. Climate adaptation and resilient forests and
rangeland measures.
<DELETED>Sec. 102. National revegetation effort.
<DELETED>Sec. 103. Experimental forests.
<DELETED>Sec. 104. Long-term contracts for tree and seed planting.
<DELETED>Sec. 105. Tree planting for communities.
<DELETED>Sec. 106. Revegetation on abandoned mine land.
<DELETED>Sec. 107. International reforestation.
<DELETED>TITLE II--CARBON SEQUESTRATION THROUGH FOREST MANAGEMENT AND
INNOVATION
<DELETED>Sec. 201. Forest management from carbon credits.
<DELETED>Sec. 202. Recovery and restoration treatments following stand-
replacing disturbances.
<DELETED>Sec. 203. Biochar and wood waste.
<DELETED>Sec. 204. Eradication of invasive grasses.
<DELETED>TITLE III--MASS TIMBER
<DELETED>Sec. 301. Definitions.
<DELETED>Sec. 302. Joint mass timber science and education program.
<DELETED>Sec. 303. Storing carbon in Federal buildings.
<DELETED>TITLE IV--RESEARCH
<DELETED>Sec. 401. Longevity of forest products.
<DELETED>Sec. 402. Forest inventory and analysis.
<DELETED>Sec. 403. Bioeconomy research.
<DELETED>Sec. 404. Insurance product to replace buffers.
<DELETED>Sec. 405. Forest health threat centers.
<DELETED>SEC. 2. FINDINGS.</DELETED>
<DELETED> Congress finds that--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) revegetation efforts can meet multiple goals,
including guarding against climate change, improving
conservation and habitats, securing public water supplies, and
providing for economic and cultural benefits;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) a range of practical constraints, including
cost, available infrastructure, and whether land has been
converted to other uses that are unlikely to be abandoned,
significantly limit the areas that are viable for revegetation
projects, and hence revegetation projects must be
targeted;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) reforestation projects should occur in areas
that were historically forested but have become degraded or
impacted from wildfire events, windstorms, or other events,
rather than other natural habitats, such as
grasslands;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) forests and rangelands are important for
storing carbon;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (5) established forests and native rangelands,
including actively managed forests and rangelands, are
preferable to new forests and rangelands that are a result of
revegetation efforts, because intact forests and vegetation
communities are more effective at sequestration and are more
resilient to fire, storm, and drought;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (6) natural regrowth of forests and rangelands is
cheaper and more efficient than revegetation projects, as long
as nonnative invasive species are not adversely impacting the
landscape;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (7) native plant development and restoration
generates sustainable private sector jobs in a wide variety of
sectors;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (8) selecting the appropriate species of trees and
of other vegetation and promoting biodiversity using a mixture
of species naturally found in the local area, rare species, and
species of economic importance are crucial to the success of
revegetation efforts;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (9) species selected for revegetation efforts and
the specified planting density and structure should be suitable
for the local climate, taking into account future climate
resilience and other considerations;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (10) scientific knowledge should be combined with
local knowledge, and site conditions should be taken into
account, in developing revegetation projects, and ideally
small-scale planting trials should take place before planting
large numbers of trees;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (11) partnerships with local communities are key
to the success of tree and vegetation planting projects because
local people often have the most to gain from those
projects;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (12) a successful planting project must include a
plan on how to source seeds or seedlings that match desired
species and genetics, and that plan should involve working with
local stakeholders;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (13) the sustainability of revegetation projects
is dependent on the economic impacts for all stakeholders;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (14) invasive grasses are a catalyst for wildfires
in forests and rangelands.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.</DELETED>
<DELETED> In this Act:</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) Carbon sequestration.--The term ``carbon
sequestration'' means the capture and long-term storage of
atmospheric carbon dioxide.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) National forest system.--The term ``National
Forest System'' has the meaning given the term in section 11(a)
of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of
1974 (16 U.S.C. 1609(a)).</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) Secretaries.--The term ``Secretaries'' means
the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture,
acting through the Chief of the Forest Service.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) Secretary.--Except in sections 103, 105(b),
201, 202, and 302, the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (5) Secretary concerned.--The term ``Secretary
concerned'' means the Secretary of the Interior or the
Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the
Forest Service.</DELETED>
<DELETED>TITLE I--REVEGETATION</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 101. CLIMATE ADAPTATION AND RESILIENT FORESTS AND
RANGELAND MEASURES.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (a) In General.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretaries shall each revise applicable
regulations of the Secretary concerned to require the consideration and
assessment of resiliency and adaptation factors in developing
strategies and efforts for revegetation, including reforestation and
rangeland planting, carried out by the Secretary concerned, including
in selecting species for planting.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (b) Effect.--Nothing in this section affects--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) the reforestation requirements under section 3
of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of
1974 (16 U.S.C. 1601); or</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) the use of the forest plan revision process to
make changes to reforestation approaches in an individual unit
of the National Forest System.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 102. NATIONAL REVEGETATION EFFORT.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (a) Definitions.--In this section:</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) Federal land.--The term ``Federal land''
means--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) National Forest System land, except--
</DELETED>
<DELETED> (i) the national grasslands and
land utilization projects administered under
title III of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act
(7 U.S.C. 1010 et seq.); and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (ii) National Forest System land
east of the 100th meridian; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) land under the jurisdiction of the
Secretary.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) Task force.--The term ``task force'' means an
interagency revegetation task force established under
subsection (d).</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) Zone.--The term ``zone'' means a zone
described in subsection (c).</DELETED>
<DELETED> (b) Assessment of Revegetation Needs.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) Federal land assessment.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) In general.--Not later than 1 year
after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Secretaries shall assess, using the revegetation
assessment tool described in paragraph (2), the number
of acres of Federal land in need of revegetation,
including--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (i) acres that have experienced a
stand-replacing disturbance by a wildfire,
windstorm, or other natural event;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (ii) acres on which a regeneration
harvest has previously taken place;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (iii) acres that could benefit
from appropriate revegetation, as determined by
the Secretaries.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) Ecological forestry.--In conducting
the assessment under subparagraph (A), the Secretaries
shall consider the role of recovery periods between
disturbances for the development of stand
complexity.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) Revegetation assessment tool.--Not later than
180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Secretaries shall jointly develop, or use or expand an
existing, objective revegetation assessment tool for each zone
that uses a point system or rating scale--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) to consistently assess in various
geographic areas, site classes, and forest and
rangeland types whether an acre of Federal land is
adequately occupied by well-distributed, countable,
ecologically appropriate trees or other desirable
vegetation;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) to rapidly assess revegetation needs
on Federal land; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (C) to establish baseline conditions for
Federal land.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) Forest and rangeland cover restoration on non-
federal land.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) Partnership for forest and rangeland
cover restoration.--The Secretaries may enter into a
partnership with a non-Federal entity, including Indian
Tribes, with data or expertise in Federal
reforestation--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (i) to assess the opportunity to
restore forest or rangeland cover across non-
Federal land in the United States; or</DELETED>
<DELETED> (ii) to share existing data
gathered by the non-Federal entity.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) Savings clause.--Nothing in this
paragraph grants the Secretary concerned any additional
authority over or additional access to non-Federal
land.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretaries shall publish a
report describing--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) the number of acres of--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (i) Federal land in need of
revegetation; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (ii) non-Federal land in the
United States on which forest or rangeland
cover can be restored and the owner of which
has requested to be included in a comprehensive
revegetation strategy and implementation plan
developed under subsection (e)(2)(A);
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) the approximate location of the land
described under subparagraph (A).</DELETED>
<DELETED> (c) Regional Zones for Revegetation Efforts.--The
Secretaries shall use the regions of the National Forest System as the
zones for revegetation efforts conducted by the task forces under this
section.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (d) Interagency Task Forces.--Not later than 18 months
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretaries shall
establish an interagency revegetation task force of Federal and non-
Federal members, including Indian Tribes, for each zone--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) to coordinate and carry out the activities
described in subsections (e), (f), and (g); and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) to maximize collaboration and shared science
and mapping resources among Federal and non-Federal entities,
including Indian Tribes, in revegetating land in each zone,
including through the use of--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) Department of Agriculture climate
hubs;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) collaboratives formed pursuant to
section 4003 of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act
of 2009 (16 U.S.C. 7303); and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (C) partnerships with States developed
under shared stewardship agreements.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (e) Comprehensive Revegetation Strategy and Implementation
Plans.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) Data review.--Each task force--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) shall review the report published
under subsection (b)(4); and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) may modify, for the applicable zone,
the number of acres of land in need of revegetation and
the approximate location of the land identified in the
report, as necessary.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) Plan development.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) In general.--Not later than 180 days
after the date on which a task force is established,
the task force shall develop a 10-year comprehensive
revegetation strategy and implementation plan--
</DELETED>
<DELETED> (i) to revegetate not less than 25
percent of the land identified in the report
published under subsection (b)(4), as modified
under paragraph (1)(B) (if applicable), for the
applicable zone; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (ii) to achieve any additional
goals or targets established by the task
force.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) Requirements.--A plan developed under
subparagraph (A) shall--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (i) take into account the best
available science, best practices, and
available deployment tools, including climate
science that can inform the design of
revegetated areas to assure
resilience;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (ii) be based on, to the maximum
extent practicable, the report published under
subsection (b)(4);</DELETED>
<DELETED> (iii) identify resources and
efforts needed to conduct appropriate
revegetation treatments in the applicable zone,
including identifying areas in which capacity
exists to plant vegetation or conduct seed
dispersal;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (iv) identify the desired, locally
or regionally adapted native species of
vegetation and the types planting stock
required in the specific areas in the zone in
need of revegetation, including ecosystems that
do not include trees, such as sagebrush
ecosystems, grasslands, or
rangelands;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (v) identify under-represented
species of trees and plants in each zone that