Current as of: February 2010 (a) In general
To the extent funds are made available for this purpose, the
Secretary shall provide a grant to the Consortium for Agricultural
Soils Mitigation of Greenhouse Gases, acting through Kansas State
University, to develop, analyze, and implement, through the land
grant universities described in subsection (b) of this section,
carbon cycle research at the national, regional, and local levels.
(b) Land grant universities
The land grant universities referred to in subsection (a) of this
section are the following:
(1) Colorado State University.
(2) Iowa State University.
(3) Kansas State University.
(4) Michigan State University.
(5) Montana State University.
(6) Purdue University.
(7) Ohio State University.
(8) Texas A&M University.
(9) University of Nebraska.
(c) Use
Land grant universities described in subsection (b) of this
section shall use funds made available under this section -
(1) to conduct research to improve the scientific basis of
using land management practices to increase soil carbon
sequestration, including research on the use of new technologies
to increase carbon cycle effectiveness, such as biotechnology and
nanotechnology;
(2) to enter into partnerships to identify, develop, and
evaluate agricultural best practices, including partnerships
between -
(A) Federal, State, or private entities; and
(B) the Department of Agriculture;
(3) to develop necessary computer models to predict and assess
the carbon cycle;
(4) to estimate and develop mechanisms to measure carbon levels
made available as a result of -
(A) voluntary Federal conservation programs;
(B) private and Federal forests; and
(C) other land uses;
(5) to develop outreach programs, in coordination with
Extension Services, to share information on carbon cycle and
agricultural best practices that is useful to agricultural
producers; and
(6) to collaborate with the Great Plains Regional Earth Science
Application Center to develop a space-based carbon cycle remote
sensing technology program to -
(A) provide, on a near-continual basis, a real-time and
comprehensive view of vegetation conditions;
(B) assess and model agricultural carbon sequestration; and
(C) develop commercial products.
(d) Cooperative research
(1) In general
Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary,
in cooperation with departments and agencies participating in the
U.S. Global Change Research Program (which may use any of their
statutory authorities) and with eligible entities, may carry out
research to promote understanding of -
(A) the flux of carbon in soils and plants (including trees);
and
(B) the exchange of other greenhouse gases from agriculture.
(2) Eligible entities
Research under this subsection may be carried out through the
competitive awarding of grants and cooperative agreements to
colleges and universities (as defined in section 3103 of this
title).
(3) Cooperative research purposes
Research conducted under this subsection shall encourage
collaboration among scientists with expertise in the areas of
soil science, agronomy, agricultural economics, forestry, and
other agricultural sciences to focus on -
(A) developing data addressing carbon losses and gains in
soils and plants (including trees) and the exchange of methane
and nitrous oxide from agriculture;
(B) understanding how agricultural and forestry practices
affect the sequestration of carbon in soils and plants
(including trees) and the exchange of other greenhouse gases,
including the effects of new technologies such as biotechnology
and nanotechnology;
(C) developing cost-effective means of measuring and
monitoring changes in carbon pools in soils and plants
(including trees), including computer models;
(D) evaluating the linkage between federal conservation
programs and carbon sequestration;
(E) developing methods, including remote sensing, to measure
the exchange of carbon and other greenhouse gases sequestered,
and to evaluate leakage, performance, and permanence issues;
and
(F) assessing the applicability of the results of research
conducted under this subsection for developing methods to
account for the impact of agricultural activities (including
forestry) on the exchange of greenhouse gases.
(4) Authorization of appropriation
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are
necessary to carry out this subsection for each of fiscal years
2002 through 2007.
(e) Extension projects
(1) In general
The Secretary, in cooperation with departments and agencies
participating in the U.S. Global Change Research Program (which
may use any of their statutory authorities), and local extension
agents, experts from institutions of higher education that offer
a curriculum in agricultural and biological sciences, and other
local agricultural or conservation organizations, may implement
extension projects (including on-farm projects with direct
involvement of agricultural producers) that combine measurement
tools and modeling techniques into integrated packages to monitor
the carbon sequestering benefits of conservation practices and
the exchange of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture which
demonstrate the feasibility of methods of measuring and
monitoring -
(A) changes in carbon content and other carbon pools in soils
and plants (including trees); and
(B) the exchange of other greenhouse gases.
(2) Extension project results
The Secretary may disseminate to farmers, ranchers, private
forest landowners, and appropriate State agencies in each State
information concerning -
(A) the results of projects under this subsection; and
(B) the manner in which the methods used in the projects
might be applicable to the operations of the farmers, ranchers,
private forest landowners, and State agencies.
(3) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are
necessary to carry out this subsection for each of fiscal years
2002 through 2007.
(f) Administrative costs
Not more than 3 percent of the funds made available for this
section may be used by the Secretary to pay administrative costs
incurred in carrying out this section.
(g) Authorization of appropriations
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section
$15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2012.Legislative History Prev ________________________________________________________________________
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