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STATEMENT OF THE CLEAN WATER ACT WORKING GROUP 



TO THE HOUSE AGRICULTURE SUBCOMMITTEE 



ON THE ENVIRONMENT, CREDIT AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT 



REGARDING WETLANDS PROVISIONS OF THE CLEAN WATER ACT 



REAUTHORIZATION 



Presented by 

 Bob Stallman, President, Texas Farm Bureau 

 and Member of the AFBF Board of Directors 



March 23, 1994 



Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My name is Bob Stallman. I am president of the 

 Texas Farm Bureau and a member of the American Farm Bureau Federation's Board 

 of Directors. I am representing both organizations here today as well as the Clean 

 Water Act Working Group. We appreciate the opportunity to speak to the need for 

 wetlands legislation within the Clean Water Act. Much of agriculture has endorsed 

 and continues to support H.R. 1330 by Representatives Hayes and Ridge. We also 

 appreciate Chairman de la Garza's efforts to become involved in this important issue. 

 He has also stated his desire to work with us on the many needed reforms to 

 wetlands policy. 



Numerous changes are needed to wetlands policy. Central to the issue, we 

 believe, is the need to protect private property rights. 75 percent of wetlands are on 

 private property. Landowners should not have to bear the sole cost of wetlands 

 protection for society at large. Congress should require compensation of landowners 

 if restrictive government regulation reduces the value or use of private property. 



The Soil Conservation Service must play the critical role in identifying 

 wetlands on agricultural land. With the expertise of SCS personnel in areas such as 

 soil and wetlands science, as well as that agency's long history of working in 



