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S 1733 114th Congress Senate Public Lands and Natural Resources Building construction Climate change and greenhouse gases Energy efficiency and conservation Forests, forestry, trees Land use and conservation Materials Wildlife conservation and habitat protection

Forest Incentives Program Act of 2015

Introduced: July 9, 2015 Introduced by: Shaheen, Jeanne Democratic · New Hampshire See on congress.gov
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 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jul 16, 2015
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 114-154.
Jul 9, 2015
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Jul 9, 2015
Introduced in Senate
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Forest Incentives Program Act of 2015

This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a forest incentives program to achieve supplemental greenhouse gas emission reductions and carbon sequestration on U.S. private forest land (eligible land) through:

  • carbon incentives contracts, and
  • conservation easement agreements.

In selecting projects under such program, USDA shall give priority to contracts and agreements that:

  • sequester the most carbon on a per acre basis; and
  • create forestry jobs or protect habitats and achieve significant other environmental, economic, and social benefits.

To participate in such program, an owner of eligible land must enter into a carbon incentives contract.

USDA shall make financial incentive payments to owners of eligible land for:

  • certain forestry practices that measurably increase carbon sequestration and storage over a designated period on eligible land, and
  • conservation easements on eligible land covered under a conservation easement agreement.

The Department of the Interior may set aside a portion of program funds to develop specified forest carbon modeling and methodologies and for other specified purposes.

Interior shall establish a greenhouse gas incentives program to achieve supplemental greenhouse gas emission reductions from material choices in buildings.

Interior shall provide owners of nonresidential buildings used for commercial or state or local government purposes incentive payments for the use of commercial or industrial products composed of biological products for sequestering carbon in those buildings. Program participants shall receive their payments upon the completion of the construction or renovation of the applicable building.

What's happening now July 16, 2015

Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 114-154.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1