more control over how they get to certain points, not necessarily 

 change the points, but how they get there and give them a little 

 more flexibility on management. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

 Mr. Johnson. The gentleman from Minnesota, Mr. Peterson. 



OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. COLLIN C. PETERSON, A REP- 

 RESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF MIN- 

 NESOTA 



Mr. Peterson. Mr. Chairman, thank you. I appreciate you call- 

 ing this hearing. I have kind of been waiting for an opportunity to 

 have some discussions about this wetlands legislation and some 

 other things. People in my district it seems this spring just discov- 

 ered what was in the 1985 farm bill and are starting to get up in 

 arms. 



I have spent quite a bit of time out in my district trying to figure 

 out exactly what the process is and what is going on. I have spent 

 actually a couple days meeting with SCS and Fish and Wildlife and 

 all the different groups that are involved in this wetlands situation 

 so I could get a better understanding of just exactly what the proc- 

 ess is and why we have these problems. I don't know if I under- 

 stand it all, but it appears that if you have people that are willing 

 to work with each other, they are able to work through the system 

 because they kind of, in a way, bend the rules on each side and 

 make things work out. But if you have an area where you have 

 folks that aren't getting along, it just seems like the system doesn't 

 work. Somehow or another we have to take a look at this and see 

 if we can make some changes, like the chairman said, so we can 

 get more of a balance and get a process that will accomplish what 

 we all want to accomplish. 



When I was in the legislature in Minnesota, I spent a lot of time 

 on wetlands and was in the middle of a lot of controversies. So I 

 am kind of use to this issue. I have been one of those people who 

 has had a pretty decent record on environmental sort of things. I 

 guess the other thing I want to say, I don't know who all is in the 

 audience here, but these things that I see coming out of the envi- 

 ronmental community that they are going to take their marbles 

 and go home because they can't get what they want on the EPA 

 or Clean Water and so forth, these memos that are being circulated 

 really disappoint me. I think we need to take a look at these issues 

 and I hope that is not the posture the environmental community 

 is taking, that if they can't keep everything the way it is and if 

 they are not sure that they can win every battle, that they don't 

 want to bring up these issues. I don't think that is a very construc- 

 tive way to proceed. 



So I am hoping that this hearing will help us bring up these is- 

 sues so we can have some meaningful dialog and look at some of 

 the problems and hopefully improve the process so we can accom- 

 plish what we all want, and that is clean water and maintaining 

 the wetlands out there that are important to the environment and 

 to wildlife. Again, I want to commend you for taking a stab at this. 

 I hope some of the other committees will start moving as well be- 

 cause I think we need to look at some of these issues. Thank you. 



Mr. Johnson. The gentleman from Iowa, Mr. Nussle. 



