[Senate Report 106-407]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 797
106th Congress Report
SENATE
2d Session 106-407
======================================================================
CARBON CYCLE AND AGRICULTURAL BEST PRACTICES RESEARCH ACT
_______
September 12, 2000.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Lugar, from the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. 1066]
The Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, to
which was referred the bill (S. 1066) to amend the National
Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of
1977 to encourage the use of and research into agricultural
best practices to improve the environment, and for other
purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon
and recommends that the bill as amended do pass.
CONTENTS
Page
I. Purpose, need and background......................................1
II. Section-by-section analysis.......................................3
III.Legislative history and votes in committee........................6
IV. Regulatory impact statement.......................................7
V. Budgetary impact of the bill......................................7
VI. Changes in existing law..........................................10
I. Purpose, Need and Background
After the completion of the Kyoto Protocol, an
international treaty designed to limit greenhouse gas
emissions, a number of persons and organizations in American
agriculture expressed serious concern about the potential
economic impact it may have on food and fiber production. There
may be common sense agricultural practices addressing climate
change that can offer positive environmental benefits in other
areas. Research shows that agriculture provides significant
environmental benefits through agricultural best management
practices that enhance the carbon cycle.
We continue to learn more about carbon dioxide uptake
through research. For example, in 1998 scientific findings from
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate
Modeling and Diagnostics Laboratory showed the North American
continent absorbed from 1988 to 1992 an amount of carbon
dioxide (CO2) equal to or exceeding North American
carbon dioxide emissions from the same time period. This
finding is consistent with the statement contained in the
Executive Summary of the 1999 Carbon Cycle Science Plan, ``the
understanding of carbon sources and sinks has advanced
enormously in the last decade. There is now clear evidence that
global uptake of anthropogenic CO2 occurs by both
land plants and by the oceans.''
Carbon sequestration describes the process of how the
carbon cycle converts carbon dioxide absorbed by crops and
trees to carbon that is incorporated into soil. Carbon
sequestration is the process of best management practices
returning organic matter consisting of humus, stubble, and crop
litter that is 40 to 60% carbon back into soil. Researchers
estimate that the physical potential for carbon sequestration
in U.S. crop lands is as much as 200 million tons of carbon
each year. The equivalent of 200 million tons of carbon is 307
million tons of coal. For comparison, some coal-fueled
utilities use 10 to 15 millions tons of coal annually.
How does carbon sequestration actually work on the farm and
field? Conservation tillage incorporates crop residues as part
of the planting and harvesting processes that increases soil
organic carbon levels. Adjusting cropping patterns can also
augment soil organic carbon levels. In the Great Plains,
intensifying cropping systems by conversion from wheat-fallow
rotation to wheat-grain sorghum-fallow rotation increases soil
organic carbon levels. Additionally, intensive management of
grasslands, including prescribed burning, also can boost soil
organic carbon levels in soils that provide forage for cattle
and other livestock.
These common sense best management practices that are
increasing soil organic carbon levels have multiple
environmental benefits in addition to offsetting carbon dioxide
emissions. Increased soil organic carbon levels retain more
water, increase soil fertility to improve yields, and make
soils more erosion resistant which improves water quality.
In order to facilitate the continued research of the carbon
cycle and increased use of voluntary best practice management
tools, the legislation elevates carbon cycle research to a
priority item for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
research agenda. USDA has a broad research base unique to the
federal government through the Natural Resources Conservation
Service and the Agricultural Research Service, supplemented by
America's land grant universities. Delivery and dissemination
of research findings and information can be distributed through
USDA's extension system, a reliable and trustworthy source of
information for every agricultural operation.
Agricultural scientists' basic understanding of the carbon
cycle and agricultural best management practices have led to
these important findings, but we need more research to start
theprogression of this science to use on a daily basis by
producers. There are new exciting production tools that should be
included in this research, including global positioning systems that
guide crop chemical and fertilizer application as well as monitoring
yields. Furthermore, potential breakthroughs can combine this on-farm
information with satellite-based remote sensing for cost effective
monitoring of carbon sequestration results.
The Committee recognizes that an array of benefits to the
general public and individual farmers can be generated from
broader adoption of conserving agricultural practices. These
benefits include reduced soil erosion, reduced chemical runoff
into ground and surface water, improved air quality, and
sequestration of carbon into soils. The Committee anticipates
that farmers will be eventually able to realize some return for
providing these benefits, either through public programs that
provide voluntary incentive payments or private valuation
through environmental markets, which would be a positive
outcome for all concerned. Such streams of income would
originate from different sources, and the Committee sees no
reason to restrict farmers' ability to capitalize on such
opportunities.
The Committee believes that many of the scientific
techniques that will be used to measure the accumulation of
carbon in soils and above-ground biomass already exist, but
work needs to be done to combine these practices to arrive at
an accounting framework that is both scientifically defensible
and cost-effective for implementing practices at a field-level
scale. One of the major objectives of this legislation is to
encourage collaboration among Federal agencies and scientific
institutions where such expertise resides and make their joint
efforts accessible to those who might make use of such a
framework.
II. Section-by-Section Analysis
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the ``Carbon Cycle and
Agricultural Best Practices Research Act.''
Section 2. Findings
The findings set forth the fact that voluntary agricultural
best practices contribute multiple conservation benefits. The
findings state USDA research on these practices should be
increased to quantify how best management practices convert
carbon dioxide into soil organic carbon that in turns reduces
soil erosion, improves water quality, and increases yields.
Section 3. Agricultural best practices
The section amends Title XIV of the National Agricultural
Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 by adding
the following:
Subtitle N--Carbon Cycle and Agricultural Best Practices
Section 1490. Definitions.
This section defines terms used in the bill.
Section 1491. Carbon cycle and agricultural best practices research.
Subsection (a) states that USDA will be the lead agency
with respect to agricultural soil carbon research within the
Federal government.
Subsection (b) Research Services.
Paragraph (b)(1) Agricultural Research Service. This
paragraph provides for the Agricultural Research Service (ARS),
in collaboration with other Federal agencies, to develop data
and conduct research addressing soil carbon. The study should
include the following: the effects of management and
conservation on soil organic carbon; evaluation of the long-
term impact of tillage and residue systems; the transfer of
organic carbon to soil; and the carbon storage of commodities.
Paragraph (b)(2) Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Subparagraph (b)(2)(A) states that NRCS is authorized to
develop a soil carbon database to provide information to users
about soil carbon that could be incorporated into national,
state, and local county maps. This provision sets forth the
research mission to improve U.S. soils databases with a basic
unit of information related to carbon in soils, making it
understandable to the public and users.
Subparagraph (b)(2)(B) states that NRCS shall disseminate a
national basic unit of information for an assessment of the
carbon storage potential of soils.
Paragraph (b)(3) Economic Research Service Report. This
paragraph directs the Economic Research Service to complete
within one year of enactment a thorough economic analysis of
the Kyoto Protocol's impact on agriculture, taking into account
market mechanisms, such as permit trading, with and without
developing country participation, carbon sink accounting, and
possible command and control measures.
Paragraph (b)(4) Cooperative State Research, Education, and
Extension Service (CSREES).
Paragraph (b)(4)(A) provides for the development of a
comprehensive national carbon cycle and agricultural best
practices research agenda by CSREES through land-grant colleges
and universities.
Paragraph (b)(4)(B) provides for research opportunities to
improve the scientific basisfor using land management practices
to increase soil carbon, including innovative methods using
biotechnology and nanotechnology.
Subparagraph (b)(4)(C) provides the Secretary, acting
through CSREES, authority to: use partnerships to identify,
develop, and evaluate agricultural best practices; develop
computer models to predict and assess the carbon cycle;
estimate and develop mechanisms to measure change in carbon
levels resulting from voluntary programs; develop outreach
programs; and research new technologies that may increase
carbon cycle effectiveness.
Subsection (c) Consortia.
Paragraph (c)(1) authorizes the Secretary to select two
consortia. By selecting two consortia, CSREES will direct basic
and applied research on carbon cycle and best management
practices encompassing varied farming and ranching operations,
climates, and precipitation. The consortia will deliver
research findings and information through the extension system
to producers and ranchers interested in this issue.
Paragraph (c)(2) states that the consortia designated by
the Secretary will be selected in a competitive process by
CSREES.
Paragraph (c)(3) defines eligibility for participants in
the consortia.
Paragraph (c)(4) authorizes appropriations of $5 million
for each of fiscal years 2001 through 2005.
Subsection (d) Promotion of Agricultural Best Practices.
This subsection directs the Secretary to promote voluntary
agricultural best practices that take into account soil organic
matter dynamics, carbon cycle, ecology and soil organisms that
will lead to more effective use of soil resources.
Subsection (e) Annual Report. This subsection directs the
Secretary to submit an annual report to the Senate and House
Agriculture Committees describing the consortia and other
research findings and extension outreach as well as scientific
peer reviews.
Section 1492. Carbon cycle remote sensing technology
Because verification of soil carbon levels is expensive and
time consuming, scientists believe that satellite-based remote
sensing may be the most cost-effective method. This section
directs USDA and the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) to develop a carbon cycle remote sensing
technology program to create remote sensing products that can
be used in research and commercial applications. This builds on
the 1998 USDA/NASA Memorandum of Understanding titled
``Cooperation and Coordination in Science, and Technology
Research, Development, Transfer, Utilization, and
Commercialization.''
Subsection (a) Carbon Cycle Remote Sensing Technology. This
subsection directs the Secretary, in cooperation with the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), to
develop a carbon cycle remote sensing technology program.
Subsection (b) Use of Centers. This subsection directs the
NASA Administrator to use the regional earth science
application centers to conduct the research.
Subsection (c) Researched Areas. This subsection defines
the areas of research.
Subsection (d) Authorization of Appropriations. This
subsection authorizes appropriations of $5 million for each of
fiscal years 2001 through 2005.
Section 1493. Research incentive payments
In order to get widespread research across the country
about what works and what does not, it is good policy to
encourage USDA to provide small payments to producers to allow
researchers physical access to their farms to collect and
analyze data on best management practices, especially as
research moves from research plots to whole farms.
Subsection (a) allows the Secretary to provide research
incentive payments to farmers and ranchers who allow
researchers to collect data.
Subsection (b) Confidentiality. This subsection provides
for confidentiality of acquired research data.
Subsection (c) Authorization of Appropriations. This
subsection authorizes appropriations of such sums as are
necessary to carry out this section for each of fiscal years
2001 through 2005.
Section 1494. Assistance for agricultural best practices and natural
resource management plans under conservation programs
Subsection (a) directs the Secretary to provide technical
assistance on best management practices through extension
activities to increase the use of voluntary best management
plans that will increase soil carbon levels.
Subsection (b) Information to Developing Nations. This
subsection directs the Secretary to share information on the
environmental benefits of agricultural best practices to
developing nations.
Subsection (c) Authorization of Appropriations.This
subsection authorizes appropriations of such sums as are necessary to
carry out this section for each of fiscal years 2001 through 2005.
Section 1495. Trace gas network system
A key research component is identifying when and where
carbon dioxide is being absorbed. Since USDA and the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are conducting
similar research on a local level about how and where carbon
dioxide is stored in soil, USDA and NOAA should combine their
efforts.
Subsection (a) states that the Secretary, with the
cooperation of NASA, may establish a nationwide trace gas
network.
Subsection (b) defines the purpose of the trace gas
network.
Subsection (c) directs the Secretary and Administrator to
enter into a Memorandum of Understanding to ensure each agency
can develop and utilize a joint research network.
Subsection (d) authorizes $10 million in appropriations to
carry out this section.
III. Legislative History and Committee Vote
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
On May 4, 2000, the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on
Price Competitiveness and Production held a hearing examining
carbon cycle research and the role of agriculture in reducing
greenhouse gases. The purpose of the hearing was to hear from
scientists, agricultural producers, and Administration
officials on carbon cycle research, how it needs to be
improved, and why it provides multiple environmental benefits.
The first panel testifying included Dr. David Hofmann,
Director, Climate Modeling and Diagnostics Laboratory, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Keith Collins, Chief
Economist, United States Department of Agriculture; and Richard
Stuckey, Executive Vice President, Council for Agricultural
Science and Technology (CAST).
Dr. Hofmann testified the North American continent presents
a major sink for carbon dioxide emissions. Dr. Hofmann also
described plans to study this important sink, and in
particular, its regional nature. Dr. Collins pointed out the
types of research that additional funding would support include
the Agricultural Research Service collaborating with other
Federal agencies to expand data and research on the role of
agriculture in the carbon balance and define ways which farmers
and ranchers can store carbon in agricultural soils. Special
emphasis would be given to measuring the effects of management
and conservation practices on carbon storage in cropland and
grazing lands, particularly the long-term impacts of tillage
and residue management systems on accumulation of organic
carbon. Dr. Stuckey reviewed for the Subcommittee the recent
CAST issue paper acknowledging that organic matter contributes
greatly to plant productivity and ecosystem stability. Land
management is a critical component of whether the net change in
the soil carbon is a gain or a loss.
The second panel testifying included Dr. Chuck Rice, Soil
Microbiology Professor, Department of Agronomy, Kansas State
University; Dr. John M. Kimble, Research Soil Scientist, United
States Department of Agriculture; William Richards, Former
Chief of the Soil Conservation Service; and John Haas, Kansas
producer.
Dr. Rice shared with the Subcommittee that Kansas State
University research has shown that conservation tillage can
sequester 0.2 to 0.4 tons of carbon per acre. Under the
scenario of one million acres under conservation tillage, this
land could hold the carbon equivalent of 85 million gallons of
gasoline each year. Dr. Kimble testified that for research to
be most effective, it requires collaboration among scientists
from many different disciplines, and must eventually move from
the lab to the whole farm. Mr. Richards provided that a
stewardship approach can be embraced and that agriculture will
be given the chance to mitigate the climate change problem long
enough for scientists to find long-term solutions to our
problems. Finally, Mr. Haas shared the multiple positive
benefits he has seen on his farm using no-till, including
better quality crops, greater variety, and higher value at the
elevator.
COMMITTEE VOTE
In compliance with paragraph 7 of rule XXVI of the Standing
Rules of the Senate, the following statement is made concerning
the votes of the Committee in its consideration of the bill:
The Committee met in open session on Tuesday, June 20, 2000
and, in the presence of a quorum, ordered that the bill be
favorably reported by a voice vote.
IV. Regulatory Impact Statement
In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the following evaluation is made
concerning the regulatory impact of enacting this legislation:
The Committee has determined that this legislation will
have no detrimental impact on the private sector as a result of
regulatory requirements. The Committee does not anticipate an
adverse impact on the personal privacy of individuals affected
by this legislation or an increase in paperwork or record
keeping requirements.
V. Budgetary Impact of the Bill
In accordance with paragraph 11(a) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the following letter has been
received from the Congressional Budget Office regarding the
budgetary impact of the bill:
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, July 19, 2000.
Hon. Richard G. Lugar,
Chairman, Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, U.S.
Senate, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 1066, the Carbon
Cycle and Agricultural Best Practices Research Act.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is James
Langley.
Sincerely,
Barry B. Anderson
(For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
Enclosure.
S. 1066--Carbon Cycle and Agricultural Best Practices Act
Summary: S. 106 would authorize appropriations for fiscal
years 2001 through 2005 for agricultural research and incentive
programs related to the earth's carbon cycle and other
environmental concerns. Assuming appropriation of the necessary
amounts and adjusting for anticipated inflation, CBO estimates
that implementing the bill would cost $417 million over the
2001-2005 period. (Without any adjustment for inflation,
implementation costs would be about $402 million over this
period.) S. 1066 would not affect direct spending or receipts;
therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply. S. 1066
contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as
defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) and would
impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments.
Estimated cost to the Federal Government: For this
estimate, CBO assumes that the amounts authorized will be
appropriated for each fiscal year and that spending will follow
the pattern of past appropriations for similar projects. The
estimated impact of S. 1066 is shown in the following table.
The costs of this legislation fall within budget function 350
(agriculture).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By fiscal year, in millions of dollars--
--------------------------------------------
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION
Estimated Authorization Level...................................... 101 93 94 96 97
Estimated Outlays.................................................. 64 77 87 93 96
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basis of estimate: S. 1066 would amend the National
Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of
1977 to expand federal support for agricultural programs that
benefit the environment, especially those that affect carbon
storage in soils. For example, it would authorize the
Department of Agriculture (USDA) to study the effects of
agricultural systems and ``best practices'' on the carbon
balance in soils develop a database on the carbon storage
potential of soils and support interagency programs to monitor
the carbon cycle. The bill also would authorize payments and
technical assistance for agricultural producers that
participate in research programs for best practices that
protect the environment. All of the funding authorized in S.
1066 would be subject to appropriation.
Environment research
Based on information provided by USDA, CBO estimates that
S. 1066 would authorize the appropriation of $86 million for
fiscal year 2001, including $75 million for the following
research initiatives outlined in the bill:
$30 million for the Agricultural Research
Service to develop data and conduct research addressing
soil carbon balance and storage;
$20 million for the Cooperative State
Research, Education, and Extension Service to develop a
research agenda on the carbon cycle and agricultural
best practices, and to identify, develop, and evaluate
agricultural best practices;
$15 million for the Natural Resources
Conservation Service to develop a soil carbon database,
linked electronically to county-level soil surveys and
state-level soil maps, for an assessment of the carbon
storage potential of soils in the United States;
$5 million as specified in the bill for up
to two research consortia that would study and promote
agricultural best practices related to the carbon
cycle; and
$5 million as specified in the bill for a
cooperative effort between USDA and the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration for a remote
sensing program that would focus on carbon
sequestration.
CBO estimates that the above activities would continue
under the bill at an annual cost of $75 million adjusted for
anticipated inflation over the 2002-2005 period.
In addition, the bill would authorize the appropriation of
$10 million for a joint research initiative between USDA and
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to
establish a national network for measuring trace gases that
would document the flux of carbon between soil, air, and water.
CBO assumes that all of those funds would be appropriated in
fiscal year 2001.
Finally, the bill would direct the Economic Research
Service to submit a report no later than one year after
enactment that analyzes the impact of the financial health of
the farm economy of the United States under the Kyoto Protocol
and other international agreements under the Framework
Convention on Climate Change. CBO estimates that preparing this
report would require the appropriation of $1 million in fiscal
year 2001.
Incentive and assistance programs
CBO estimates that S. 1066 would authorize the
appropriation of about $15 million for each of fiscal years
2001 through 2005 for payments and technical assistance to
producers that cooperate in scientific research on agricultural
best practices on their farms. Based on information from USDA,
CBO estimates that producers with 2 million acres (around 5
percent of acres enrolled in major conservation programs) would
participate in these programs. For this estimate, CBO assumes
that those producers would receive an annual payment of $2.50
per acre for cooperating in the research programs. In addition,
we estimate that requiring USDA to assist those producers in
planning, designing, and implementing agricultural best
practices and natural resource management plans would cost
about $5.00 per acre.
Pay-as-you-go considerations: None.
Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: S. 1066
contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as
defined in UMRA and would impose no costs on the state, local,
or tribal governments.
Estimate prepared by: Federal Costs: James Langley. Impact
on State, Local, and Tribal Governments: Marjorie Miller.
Impact on the Private Sector: Jean Wooster.
Estimate approved by: Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant
Director for Budget Analysis.
VI. Changes in Existing Law
In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, changes in existing law made in
the bill, as reported are shown as follows (existing law
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new
material is printed in italic, existing law in which no change
is proposed is shown in roman):
NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, EXTENSION, AND TEACHING POLICY ACT OF
1977
TITLE XIV--RESEARCH ACT OF 1977
Sec. 1483. (a) There are authorized to be appropriated, to
implement the provisions of this subtitle, such sums not to
exceed $10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1991 through
2002.
(b) Funds appropriated under this section shall be
allocated by the Secretary to eligible institutions for work to
be done as mutually agreed upon between the Secretary and the
eligible institution or institutions.
* * * * * * *
[Subtitle N--Carbon Cycle and Agricultural Best Practices
[SEC. 1490. DEFINITIONS.
[In this subtitle:
[(1) Agricultural best practice.--The term
``agricultural best practice'' means a voluntary
practice used by 1 or more agricultural producers to
manage a farm or ranch that has a beneficial or minimal
impact on the environment, including--
[(A) crop residue management;
[(B) soil erosion management;
[(C) nutrient management;
[(D) remote sensing;
[(E) precision agriculture;
[(F) integrated pest management;
[(G) animal waste management;
[(H) cover crop management;
[(I) water quality and utilization
management;
[(J) grazing and range management;
[(K) wetland management;
[(L) buffer strip use; and
[(M) tree planting.
[(2) Conservation program.--The term ``conservation
program'' means a program established under--
[(A) subtitle D of title XII of the Food
Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3830 et seq.);
[(B) section 401 or 402 of the Agricultural
Credit Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2201, 2202);
[(C) section 3 or 8 of the Watershed
Protection and Flood Prevention Act (16 U.S.C.
1003, 1006a); or
[(D) any other provision of law that
authorizes the Secretary to make payments or
provide other assistance to agricultural
producers to promote conservation.
[SEC. 1491. CARBON CYCLE AND AGRICULTURAL BEST PRACTICES RESEARCH.
[(a) In General.--The Department of Agriculture shall be
the lead agency with respect to any agricultural soil carbon
research conducted by the Federal Government.
[(b) Research Services.--
[(1) Agricultural research service.--The Secretary,
acting through the Agricultural Research Service, shall
collaborate with other Federal agencies to develop data
and conduct research addressing soil carbon balance and
storage, making special efforts to--
[(A) determine the effects of management and
conservation on carbon storage in cropland and
grazing land;
[(B) evaluate the long-term impact of tillage
and residue management systems on the
accumulation of organic carbon;
[(C) study the transfer of organic carbon to
soil; and
[(D) study carbon storage of commodities.
[(2) Natural resources conservation service.--
[(A) Research missions.--The research
missions of the Secretary, acting through the
Natural Resources Conservation Service,
include--
[(i) the development of a soil carbon
database to--
[(I) provide online access to
information about soil carbon
potential in a format that
facilitates the use of the
database in making land
management decisions; and
[(II) allow additional and
more refined data to be linked
to similar databases containing
information on forests and
rangeland;
[(ii) the conversion to an electronic
format and linkage to the national soil
database described in clause (i) of
county-level soil surveys and State-
level soil maps;
[(iii) updating of State-level soil
maps;
[(iv) the linkage, for information
purposes only, of soil information to
other soil and land use databases; and
[(v) the completion of evaluations,
such as field validation and
calibration, of modeling, remote
sensing, and statistical inventory
approaches to carbon stock assessments
related to land management practices
and agronomic systems at the field,
regional, and national levels.
[(B) Unit of information.--The Secretary,
acting through the Natural Resources
Conservation Service, shall disseminate a
national basic unit of information for an
assessment of the carbon storage potential of
soils in the United States.
[(3) Economic research service report.--Not later
than 1 year after the date of enactment of this
section, the Secretary, acting through the Economic
Research Service, shall submit to the Committee on
Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of
the Senate a report that analyzes the impact of the
financial health of the farm economy of the United
States under the Kyoto Protocol and Other International
Agreements Under the Framework Convention on Climate
Change--
[(A) with and without market mechanisms
(including whether the mechanisms are permits
for emissions and whether the permits are
issued by allocation, auction, or otherwise);
[(B) with and without the participation of
developing countries;
[(C) with and without carbon sinks; and
[(D) with respect to the imposition of
traditional command and control measures.
[(c) Consortia.--
[(1) In general.--The Secretary may designate not
more than 2 carbon cycle and agricultural best
practices research consortia.
[(2) Selection.--The consortia designated by the
Secretary shall be selected in a competitive manner by
the Cooperative State Research, Education, and
Extension Service.
[(3) Duties.--The consortia shall--
[(A) identify, develop, and evaluate
agricultural best practices using partnerships
composed of Federal, State, or private entities
and the Department of Agriculture, including
the Agricultural Research Service;
[(B) develop necessary computer models to
predict and assess the carbon cycle, as well as
other priorities requested by the Secretary and
the heads of other Federal agencies;
[(C) estimate and develop mechanisms to
measure carbon levels made available as a
result of voluntary Federal conservation
programs, private and Federal forests, and
other land uses; and
[(D) develop outreach programs, in
coordination with extension services, to share
information on carbon cycle and agricultural
best practices that is useful to agricultural
producers.
[(4) Consortia participants.--The participants in the
consortia may include--
[(A) land-grant colleges and universities;
[(B) State geological surveys;
[(C) research centers of the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration;
[(D) other Federal agencies;
[(E) representatives of agricultural
businesses and organizations; and
[(F) representatives of the private sector.
[(5) Authorization of appropriations.--There are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this
subsection $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2000
through 2002.
[(d) Promotion of Agricultural Best Practices.--The
Secretary shall promote voluntary agricultural best practices
that take into account soil organic matter dynamics, carbon
cycle, ecology, and soil organisms that will lead to the more
effective use of soil resources to--
[(1) enhance the carbon cycle;
[(2) improve soil quality;
[(3) increase the use of renewable resources; and
[(4) overcome unfavorable physical soil properties.
[(e) Annual Report.--The Secretary shall submit to the
Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and
the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the
Senate an annual report that describes programs that are or
will be conducted by the Secretary, through land-grant colleges
and universities, to provide to agricultural producers the
results of research conducted on agricultural best practices,
including the results of--
[(1) research;
[(2) future research plans;
[(3) consultations with appropriate scientific
organizations;
[(4) proposed extension outreach activities; and
[(5) findings of scientific peer review under section
103(d)(1) of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and
Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7613(d)(1)).
[SEC. 1492. CARBON CYCLE REMOTE SENSING TECHNOLOGY.
[(a) Carbon Cycle Remote Sensing Technology Program.--
[(1) In general.--The Secretary, in cooperation with
the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, shall develop a carbon cycle remote
sensing technology program--
[(A) to provide, on a near-continual basis, a
real-time and comprehensive view of vegetation
conditions; and
[(B) to assess and model agricultural carbon
sequestration.
[(2) Use of centers.--The Administrator of the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall use
regional earth science application centers to conduct
research under this section.
[(3) Researched areas.--The areas that shall be the
subjectsof research conducted under this section
include--
[(A) the mapping of carbon-sequestering land
use and land cover;
[(B) the monitoring of changes in land cover
and management;
[(C) new systems for the remote sensing of
soil carbon; and
[(D) regional-scale carbon sequestration
estimation.
[(b) Regional Earth Science Application Center.--
[(1) In general.--The Secretary, in cooperation with
the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, shall carry out this section through
the Regional Earth Science Application Center located
at the University of Kansas (referred to in this
section as the ``Center''), if the Center enters into a
partnership with a land-grant college or university.
[(2) Duties of center.--The Center shall serve as a
research facility and clearinghouse for satellite data,
software, research, and related information with
respect to remote sensing research conducted under this
section.
[(3) Use of center.--The Secretary, in cooperation
with the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration, shall use the Center for carrying
out remote sensing research relating to agricultural
best practices.
[(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 for
fiscal years 2000 through 2002.
[SEC. 1493. CONSERVATION PREMIUM PAYMENTS.
[In addition to payments that are made by the Secretary to
producers under conservation programs, the Secretary may offer
conservation premium payments to producers that are
participating in the conservation programs to compensate the
producers for allowing researchers to scientifically analyze,
and collect information with respect to, agricultural best
practices that are carried out by the producers as part of
conservation projects and activities that are funded, in whole
or in part, by the Federal Government.
[SEC. 1494. ASSISTANCE FOR AGRICULTURAL BEST PRACTICES AND NATURAL
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLANS UNDER CONSERVATION
PROGRAMS.
[(a) In General.--In addition to assistance that is
provided by the Secretary to producers under conservation
programs, the Secretary, on request of the producers, shall
provide education through extension activities and technical
and financial assistance to producers that are participating in
the conservation programs to assist the producers in planning,
designing, and installing agricultural best practices and
natural resource management plans established under the
conservation programs.
[(b) Information to Developing Nations.--The Secretary
shall disseminate to developing nations information on
agricultural best practices and natural resource management
plans that--
[(1) provide crucial agricultural benefits for soil
and water quality; and
[(2) increase production.
[SEC. 1495. CARBON CYCLE RESEARCH MONITORING SYSTEM.
[(a) Establishment.--The Secretary, in conjunction with the
Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration and the United States Global Change Research
Program, may establish a nationwide carbon cycle monitoring
system (referred to in this section as the ``monitoring
system'') to research the flux of carbon between soil, air, and
water.
[(b) Purpose of System.--The monitoring system shall focus
on locating network monitors on or near agricultural best
practices that are--
[(1) undertaken voluntarily;
[(2) undertaken through a conservation program of the
Department of Agriculture;
[(3) implemented as part of a program or activity of
the Department of Agriculture; or
[(4) identified by the Administrator of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[(c) Memorandum of Understanding.--The Secretary may
enterinto a memorandum of understanding with the Administrator of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to ensure that research
goals of programs established by the Federal Government related to
carbon monitoring are met through the monitoring system.
[(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this subtitle $10,000,000.]
Subtitle N--Carbon Cycle and Agricultural Best Practices
SEC. 1490. DEFINITIONS.
In this subtitle:
(1) Agricultural best practice.--The term
``agricultural best practice'' means a voluntary
practice used by 1 or more agricultural producers to
manage a farm or ranch that has a beneficial or minimal
impact on the environment, including--
(A) crop residue management;
(B) soil erosion management;
(C) nutrient management;
(D) remote sensing;
(E) precision agriculture;
(F) integrated pest management;
(G) animal waste management;
(H) cover crop management;
(I) water quality and utilization management;
(J) grazing and range management;
(K) wetland management;
(L) buffer strip use; and
(M) tree planting.
(2) Conservation program.--The term ``conservation
program'' means a program established under--
(A) subtitle D of title XII of the Food
Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3830 et seq.);
(B) section 401 or 402 of the Agricultural
Credit Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2201, 2202);
(C) section 3 or 8 of the Watershed
Protection and Flood Prevention Act (16 U.S.C.
1003, 1006a); or
(D) any other provision of law that
authorizes the Secretary to make payments or
provide other assistance to agricultural
producers to promote conservation.
SEC. 1491. CARBON CYCLE AND AGRICULTURAL BEST PRACTICES RESEARCH.
(a) In General.--The Department of Agriculture shall be the
lead agency with respect to any agricultural soil carbon
research conducted by the Federal Government.
(b) Research Services.--
(1) Agricultural research service.--The Secretary,
acting through the Agricultural Research Service, shall
collaborate with other Federal agencies to develop data
and conduct research addressing soil carbon balance and
storage, making special efforts to--
(A) determine the effects of management and
conservation on soil organic carbon storage in
cropland and grazing land;
(B) evaluate the long-term impact of tillage
and residue management systems on the
accumulation of organic carbon;
(C) study the transfer of organic carbon to
soil; and
(D) study carbon storage of commodities.
(2) Natural resources conservation service.--
(A) Research missions.--The research missions
of the Secretary, acting through the Natural
Resources Conservation Service, include--
(i) the development of a soil carbon
database to--
(I) provide online access to
information about soil carbon
potential in a format that
facilitates the use of the
database in making land
management decisions; and
(II) allow additional and
more refined data to be linked
to similar databases containing
information on forests and
rangeland;
(ii) the conversion to an electronic
format and linkage to the national soil
database described in clause (i) of
county-level soil surveys and State-
level soil maps;
(iii) updating of State-level soil
maps;
(iv) the linkage, for information
purposes only, of soil information to
other soil and land use databases; and
(v) the completion of evaluations,
such as field validation and
calibration, of modeling, remote
sensing, and statistical inventory
approaches to carbon stock assessments
related to land management practices
and agronomic systems at the field,
regional, and national levels.
(B) Unit of information.--The Secretary,
acting through the Natural Resources
Conservation Service, shall disseminate a
national basic unit of information for an
assessment of the carbon storage potential of
soils in the United States.
(3) Economic research service report.--Not later than
1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the
Secretary, acting through the Economic Research
Service, shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a
report that analyzes the impact of the financial health
of the farm economy of the United States under the
Kyoto Protocol and other international agreements under
the Framework Convention on Climate Change--
(A) with and without market mechanisms
(including whether the mechanisms are permits
for emissions and whether the permits are
issued by allocation, auction, or otherwise);
(B) with and without the participation of
developing countries;
(C) with and without carbon sinks; and
(D) with respect to the imposition of
traditional command and control measures.
(4) Cooperative state research, education, and
extension service.--
(A) In general.--The Cooperative State
Research, Education, and Extension Service
shall, through land-grant colleges and
universities, develop a comprehensive national
carbon cycle and agricultural best practices
research agenda.
(B) Research missions.--The research missions
of the Secretary, acting through the
Cooperative State Research, Education, and
Extension Service, include the provision,
through land-grant colleges and universities,
of research opportunities to improve the
scientific basis for using land management
practices to increase soil carbon sequestration
needed for producers, including research
concerning innovative methods of using
biotechnology and nanotechnology.
(C) Activities.--The Secretary, acting
through the Cooperative State Research,
Education, and Extension Service, shall--
(i) identify, develop, and evaluate
agricultural best practices using
partnerships comprised of Federal,
State, or private entities and the
Department of Agriculture, including
the Agricultural Research Service;
(ii) develop necessary computer
models to predict and assess the carbon
cycle, as well as other priorities
requested by the Secretary and the
heads of other Federal agencies;
(iii) estimate and develop mechanisms
to measure changes in carbon levels
resulting from voluntary Federal
conservation programs, private and
Federal forests, and other land uses;
(iv) develop outreach programs, in
coordination with cooperative extension
services, to share information on
carbon cycles and agricultural best
practices that is useful to
agricultural producers; and
(v) research new technologies that
may increase carbon cycle
effectiveness, such as biotechnology
and nanotechnology.
(c) Consortia.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary may designate not more
than 2 carbon cycle and agricultural best practices
research consortia to carry out this section.
(2) Selection.--The consortia designated by the
Secretary shall be selected in a competitive manner by
the Cooperative State Research, Education, and
Extension Service.
(3) Consortia participants.--The participants in the
consortia may include--
(A) land-grant colleges and universities;
(B) State geological surveys;
(C) research centers of the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration;
(D) other Federal agencies;
(E) representatives of agricultural
businesses and organizations; and
(F) representatives of the private sector.
(4) Authorization of appropriations.--There are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this
subsection $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2001
through 2005.
(d) Promotion of Agricultural Best Practices.--The
Secretary shall promote voluntary agricultural best practices
that take into account soil organic matter dynamics, carbon
cycle, ecology, and soil organisms that will lead to the more
effective use of soil resources to--
(1) enhance the carbon cycle;
(2) improve soil quality;
(3) increase the use of renewable resources; and
(4) overcome unfavorable physical soil properties.
(e) Annual Report.--The Secretary shall submit to the
Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and
the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the
Senate an annual report that describes programs that are or
will be conducted by the Secretary, through land-grant colleges
and universities, to provide to agricultural producers the
results of research conducted on agricultural best practices,
including the results of--
(1) research;
(2) future research plans;
(3) consultations with appropriate scientific
organizations;
(4) proposed extension outreach activities; and
(5) findings of scientific peer review under section
103(d)(1) of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and
Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7613(d)(1)).
SEC. 1492. CARBON CYCLE REMOTE SENSING TECHNOLOGY.
(a) In General.--The Secretary, in cooperation with the
Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, shall develop a carbon cycle remote sensing
technology program--
(1) to provide, on a near-continual basis, a real-
time and comprehensive view of vegetation conditions;
and
(2) to assess and model agricultural carbon
sequestration.
(b) Use of Centers.--The Administrator of the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration shall use regional earth
science application centers to conduct research under this
section.
(c) Researched Areas.--The areas that shall be the subjects
of research conducted under this section include--
(1) the mapping of carbon-sequestering land use and
land cover;
(2) the monitoring of changes in land cover and
management;
(3) new systems for the remote sensing of soil
carbon; and
(4) regional-scale carbon sequestration estimation.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 for
each of fiscal years 2001 through 2005.
SEC. 1493. RESEARCH INCENTIVE PAYMENTS.
(a) In General.--In addition to payments that are made by
the Secretary to producers under conservation programs, the
Secretary may offer research incentive payments to producers
that are participating in the conservation programs to
compensate the producers for allowing researchers to
scientifically analyze, and collect information with respect
to, agricultural best practices that are carried out by the
producers as part of conservation projects and activities that
are funded, in whole or in part, by the Federal Government.
(b) Confidentiality.--
(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2),
any information submitted to the Secretary under
subsection (a) shall be confidential and may be
disclosed only if required under court order.
(2) Release of information in aggregate form.--The
Secretary may release or make public information
described in paragraph (1) in an aggregate or summary
form that does not directly disclose the identity,
business transactions, or trade secrets of any person
that submits the information.
SEC. 1494. ASSISTANCE FOR AGRICULTURAL BEST PRACTICES AND NATURAL
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLANS UNDER CONSERVATION
PROGRAMS.
(a) In General.--In addition to assistance that is provided
by the Secretary to producers under conservation programs, the
Secretary, on request of the producers, shall provide education
through extension activities and technical assistance to
producers that are participating in the conservation programs
to assist the producers in planning, designing, and installing
agricultural best practices and natural resource management
plans established under the conservation programs.
(b) Information to Developing Nations.--The Secretary shall
disseminate to developing nations information on agricultural
best practices and natural resource management plans that--
(1) provide crucial agricultural benefits for soil
and water quality; and
(2) increase production.
SEC. 1495. TRACE GAS NETWORK SYSTEM.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary, in conjunction with the
Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, may establish a nationwide trace gas network
system to research the flux of carbon between soil, air, and
water.
(b) Purpose of System.--The trace gas network system shall
focus on locating appropriate research equipment on or near
agricultural best practices that are--
(1) undertaken voluntarily;
(2) undertaken through a conservation program of the
Department of Agriculture;
(3) implemented as part of a program or activity of
the Department of Agriculture; or
(4) identified by the Administrator of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
(c) Memorandum of Understanding.--The Secretary may enter
into a memorandum of understanding with the Administrator of
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to ensure
that research goals of programs established by the Federal
Government relating to trace gas research are met through the
trace gas network system.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000.
* * * * * * *