Ch. 4— Wetland Programs That Affect the Use of Wetlands • 77 



posing of wastewater on wetlands; and 4) an evalua- 

 tion of mapping-display technology. 



At NMFS, approximately $6 million is slated 

 now for "habitat research." About one-half of that 

 amount is devoted to estuarine habitats, which 

 would include all the NMFS research on wetlands. 

 Half of the estuarine-related research is spent on 

 ecological studies; the other half is spent on pollu- 

 tion-related studies. The research findings from 

 both types of studies have a bearing on wetlands. 

 Such research is carried out by regional centers, 

 whose focus on wetland research depends on the 

 priority of wetlands in the region. The Southeast 

 Center probably conducts the most research on wet- 

 lands and at present is investigating the importance 

 of wetland detrital flow into estuarine waters. 



At EPA, the Office of Research and Develop- 

 ment (ORD) is responsible for wetland research. 

 ORD has a separate work unit set up for wetlands, 

 but it is not funded at present. The approximately 

 $300,000 allocated for water research by ORD in- 

 cludes wedand research. 



NSF conducts basic research on wedands through 

 four different NSF programs, though primarily by 

 the Biotic Systems Program, which conducts com- 

 munity-level studies (e.g., population studies), and 

 the Ecosystem Studies Program, which is respon- 

 sible for large ecosystem studies (e.g., an integrated 

 analysis of the Okeefenokee Swamp). It is not possi- 

 ble to identify the funds spent on wetlands as op- 

 posed to other research areas. In 1978, NSF spon- 

 sored a workshop on research priorities for wet- 

 land-ecosystem analysis; the proceedings of this 

 workshop were published and are available through 

 the Environmental Law Institute. 



The foregoing agencies all appear to have some 

 more or less formal means of establishing intra- 

 agency research priorities. NMFS, for instance, de- 

 velops a strategic plan; FWS programs go through 

 what they call a "research- needs identification proc- 

 ess." However, there is no formal mechanism to 

 provide for interagency coordination of research. 

 All the agency representatives contacted said that 

 there is a great deal of informal communication be- 

 tween agencies. In addition, in 1981, the agencies 

 met in Kearney sville, W. Va., to discuss their re- 

 spective plans for wedand research. Proceedings of 

 this symposium were not published. Though co- 



ordination of research plans between the agencies 

 is informal, research projects have been sponsored 

 jointly. Current joint studies are being conducted 

 between NMFS and the Corps, between FWS and 

 EPA, and between the Corps and FWS. 



Federal Programs That Affect 

 Agricultural Conversions* 



In the past. Federal programs encouraged the 

 direct conversion of wetlands to agricultural use. 

 Although funding of this type has been eliminated 

 and policies to prevent alteration of wetlands have 

 been established in some agencies, implementation 

 of such policies has not been entirely effective. The 

 other programs that still reduce the costs and risks 

 associated with conversion include: income tax pro- 

 visions, and to a limited extent, cost-sharing and 

 technical-assistance programs for conservation prac- 

 tices sponsored by USDA's Agricultural Stabiliza- 

 tion and Conservation Service (ASCS) and SCS, 

 loan programs of the Farmers Home Administra- 

 tion, disaster payments, and crop insurance and 

 commodity programs. In some regions, these pol- 

 icies add to the clear profitability of wetland con- 

 version only if crop prices are sufficiently high. In 

 other regions, wetland conversions may be unprof- 

 itable even with direct or indirect Federal assistance. 



Past Policies Encouraging Wetland Drainage 



Between 1940 and 1977, USDA was authorized 

 to assist landowners in draining their wetlands by 

 providing both technical information and cost-shar- 

 ing under the Agricultural Conservation Program 

 (ACP). Between 1942 and 1980 nearly 57 million 

 acres of wet farmland, including some wetlands, 

 were drained under this program; most of this 

 drainage occurred in the 1940's and 1950's. Min- 

 nesota had more land drained than any other State 

 (over 5 million acres). 



In 1962, Congress enacted Public Law 87-732 

 forbidding USDA from providing financial or tech- 

 nical assistance for wetland drainage in Minnesota, 

 North Dakota, and South Dakota if the Secretary 

 of the Interior found that wildlife preservation 



'Discussion based on information gathered in OTA case studies 

 and an OTA working paper on agricultural policies prepared by Ken 

 Cook. 



