CSHB 196(RES): "An Act relating to carbon sequestration; and providing for an effective date."
00 CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 196(RES) 01 "An Act relating to carbon sequestration; and providing for an effective date." 02 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 03 * Section 1. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section 04 to read: 05 LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS; INTENT. (a) The legislature finds that 06 (1) increasing levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the 07 atmosphere have led to a growing interest in national and international forums for 08 implementing measures to slow and reverse the buildup of these atmospheric gases; these 09 measures may potentially include the establishment of systems of trading in credits for 10 adoption of practices, technologies, or other measures that decrease net emissions of carbon 11 dioxide; 12 (2) improved agricultural, forest, and soil management and conservation 13 practices and other methods of stewardship of soil and other land resources have great 14 potential to increase carbon sequestration on state and private lands and help offset carbon 15 dioxide emissions from other sectors of the economy; and
01 (3) it is in the interests of the state, private landowners, and the public in 02 general that the commissioner of natural resources document and quantify carbon 03 sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions reductions associated with agricultural, forestry, 04 and soil management systems and land uses occurring on state and private land in Alaska. 05 (b) It is the intent of the legislature that efforts to quantify and verify carbon 06 sequestration on state and private lands enhance the ability of the state to participate in any 07 system of carbon sequestration marketing or trading. 08 * Sec. 2. AS 44.37 is amended by adding new sections to read: 09 Sec. 44.37.200. Carbon sequestration studies and recommendations. (a) 10 The commissioner of natural resources, in consultation with the commissioner of 11 environmental conservation, shall conduct research, surveys, and appropriate studies 12 relating to carbon sequestration. 13 (b) The commissioner of natural resources, in consultation with the 14 commissioner of environmental conservation, shall 15 (1) prepare the reports required by this chapter and conduct the 16 assessment required under AS 44.37.210; 17 (2) recommend policies or programs to enhance the ability of the state 18 to participate in systems of carbon trading; the recommendations must include 19 potential policies or programs designed to optimize economic benefits to private 20 landowners participating in carbon transactions; the policies or programs may include 21 identifying existing nonprofit organizations or other public or private entities or the 22 potential of creating nonprofit organizations or other public or private entities capable 23 of serving as assemblers of carbon credits or as intermediaries on behalf of producers 24 in carbon-trading systems; 25 (3) encourage the production of educational and advisory materials 26 regarding carbon sequestration on state and private land and participation in systems 27 of carbon or greenhouse emissions trading; 28 (4) identify and recommend areas of research needed to better 29 understand and quantify the process of carbon sequestration; and 30 (5) review the carbon sequestration programs and policies of other 31 states.
01 Sec. 44.37.210. Assessment by the commissioner. (a) In consultation with 02 the commissioner of environmental conservation, the commissioner shall assess state 03 and private land in the state for past carbon sequestration and future carbon 04 sequestration potential. The assessment shall seek to quantify carbon sequestration 05 associated with agricultural, forest, soil, and land management systems in this state. 06 From time to time, the commissioner may update the findings as advancements in 07 understanding of the processes of carbon sequestration and new data become 08 available. 09 (b) The assessment required under this section shall be conducted in a manner 10 that provides a means for the state and owners of private land to estimate past and 11 future net carbon sequestration resulting from agricultural and forestry practices, 12 conservation measures, management systems, and land uses. 13 Sec. 44.37.220. Definitions. In AS 44.37.200 - 44.37.220, 14 (1) "carbon sequestration" means the long-term storage of carbon in 15 forests, soils, the ocean, and other carbon sinks; 16 (2) "commissioner" means the commissioner of natural resources. 17 * Sec. 3. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 18 read: 19 REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE. On or before the first day of the Second Regular 20 Session of the Twenty-Third Alaska State Legislature, the commissioner of natural resources, 21 in consultation with the commissioner of environmental conservation, shall prepare a report to 22 the legislature. The report must include a discussion of 23 (1) the potential for, and potential forms of, greenhouse emissions regulation; 24 (2) the potential for development of a system or systems of carbon emissions 25 trading or markets for carbon sequestered on state and private land; 26 (3) agricultural, forest, and soil management systems or land uses that increase 27 stored soil carbon; 28 (4) methods for measuring and modeling net carbon sequestration associated 29 with various agricultural, forestry, and soil practices, management systems, or land uses 30 occurring on state and private land; 31 (5) areas of scientific uncertainty with respect to quantifying and
01 understanding carbon sequestration associated with soil and forest management activities; 02 (6) recommendations developed under AS 44.37.200; 03 (7) the assessment as described in AS 44.37.210. 04 * Sec. 4. This Act takes effect July 1, 2003.