CRS-118 



CHAPTER V: CONGRESSIONAL INTEREST IN WETLANDS 



INTRODUCTION 



Congressional attention to wetland issues has been growing during the past 

 decade as conflicts have intensified between those who would modify these areas 

 for other uses and those who would leave them as naturally productive areas. 

 Growth In congressional interest is a result of both increasing knowledge and 

 awareness of the variety of values provided by wetlands, and the expanded juris- 

 diction of section 404 resulting from legal interpretations. Before the 1960s, 

 the only widely recognized wetland values were as habitat for waterfowl and for 

 certain fish species. Positive congressional action was limited to waterfowl 

 protection, yet that congressional interest took several forms: establishing 

 national wildlife refuges, enactment of the Wetlands Loan Act and subsequent 

 amendments, and continuing oversight hearings on wetland acquisition and on 

 appropriations for the Fish and Wildlife Service, which was responsible for 

 direct acquisitions. Few conflicts came to congressional attention because 

 wetland resources seemed extensive enough to meet recognized habitat needs 

 and still satisfy the demand of those who would convert them to other uses. 

 In addition, most refuges are in rural settings, where alternative demands 

 were minimal, with the exception of agriculture and timber harvests. As 

 awareness of habitat values has expanded and been reinforced by recognizing 

 other values, pressure to protect wetlands has increased. At the same 

 time, development pressures on wetlands have also intensified, as alter- 

 native sites have declined in number and increased in value. Combined, 



