To require certain Federal agencies to establish consistent policies relating to forest biomass energy to help address the energy needs of the United States.

SA 3140. Ms. COLLINS (for herself, Ms. Klobuchar, and Mr. King)
submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 2953
proposed by Ms. Murkowski to the bill S. 2012, to provide for the
modernization of the energy policy of the United States, and for other
purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the end of part IV of subtitle A of title III, add the
following:

SEC. 30__. POLICIES RELATING TO BIOMASS ENERGY.

To support the key role that forests in the United States
can play in addressing the energy needs of the United States,
the Secretary, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall
jointly--
(1) ensure that Federal policy relating to forest
bioenergy--
(A) is consistent across all Federal departments and
agencies; and
(B) recognizes the full benefits of the use of forest
biomass for energy, conservation, and responsible forest
management; and
(2) establish clear and simple policies for the use of
biomass as an energy solution, including policies that--
(A) reflect the carbon-neutrality of forest bioenergy;
(B) recognize biomass as a renewable energy source;
(C) encourage private investment throughout the biomass
supply chain, including in--
(i) working forests;
(ii) harvesting operations;
(iii) forest improvement operations;
(iv) bioenergy;
(v) wood products; and
(vi) paper manufacturing;
(D) encourage forest management to improve forest health;
and
(E) recognize State initiatives to use biomass.
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