Study on Improving Lands Act

H.R. 4133 · 116th Congress · Jul 30, 2019 · Lineage

A BILL

To require the Secretary of Agriculture to direct a study on soil health of Federal lands, and for other purposes.

1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the “Study on Improving Lands Act”.

2. Study

The Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, shall direct the National Academies of Science to study and report on the state of soil health on Federal lands in the United States.

3. Duties

The National Academies of Science shall determine the parameters by which to measure soil health, including—

(1)

soil organic matter and other measurements;

(2)

soil qualities that lead to the sequester of carbon; and

(3)

soil qualities that support strong ecosystems and resilient environments.

4. Database

Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture, in coordination with the Secretary of the Interior and the National Academies of Science, shall—

(1)

commence a study on the state of soil health on Federal lands that determines impacts such as grazing, wildfire, recreation, invasive species, and other relevant impacts on soil health on Federal lands; and

(2)

create a database of the information collected during the study.

5. Report to Congress

(a)

Annual reports— Not later than 180 days after the commencement of the study under section 4, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of Agriculture shall evaluate the progress of that study and report any short-term findings to the Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate.

(b)

Report and recommendations— Not later than 2 years after the commencement of the study under this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report summarizing the results of the study together with any recommendations for legislative or regulatory action to improve soil health, increase carbon sequestration, and improve community benefits of soil health programs on Federal lands.