48 



Testimony of 



Thomas R. Hebert 



Deputy Assistant Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment 



U.S. Department of Agriculture 



before the 



SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT CREDIT, 



AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT 



of the 



COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE 



U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 



March 23, 1994 



MR. CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE: 

 My name is Tom Hebert, and I am Deputy Assistant Secretary for Natural Resources and 

 Environment at the Department of Agriculture. Thank you for this opportunity to discuss 

 the Administration's pohcies and pending legislation pertaining to wetlands and nonpoint- 

 source pollution of water. I am pleased to offer testimony on behalf of Assistant Secretary 

 James R. Lyons, who could not be here today, and on behalf of the Administration's 

 Interagency Working Group on Wedands and the Interagency Task Force on 

 Reauthorization of the Clean Water Act. 



Although my statement today focuses on USDA activities, it also demonstrates successful 

 and continuing cooperation among the Federal agencies to address these important issues. 

 At USDA, our goal is to work for a productive agriculture in harmony with a quality 

 environment, and this is the goal we pursued when we participated in the interagency 

 working groups. I believe we can achieve the goal of a productive agriculture and a quality 

 environment, if everyone works together to craft reahstic and flexible policies that give 

 clear and consistent direction and guidance to citizens at the local level, where the details are 

 best decided. 



