168 



restore' wcll;iiuls lluil luivc been dejiriided, reaHiriiiing Congress's 

 eoniniiliiieiit to protect wethind resoiirees. It ;dso inet)rpor;ites the 

 regulatory ileliiiilioii ol v\ell;uuls into the Clean Water Ael. 



11. k. }M) is a halaneed hill iii that it addresses the eoncenis ol ihe 

 regidateil eoninuinily as well as lesponding to the need lor greater 

 en\ ironnienlal protection. l-'or example. II. R. ^5{) addresses Ihe 

 eoneerns ol the agrienlliiie arul development eomnuinilies regarding 

 permitting delays by leaturing a new e.xpedited pcrmilting 

 procedure, reipiiring the processing ol small-scale permits within 60 

 days. The bill also improves permit processing by rec|uiring the 

 Cieneral Accounting OITice to perlorm a needs assessment to 

 determine whether F.PA and the Corps require additional personnel 

 and resources to expeditiously conduct wetlands delineations and 

 process permit applications. H.R. ^5^) provides lunds to implement 

 the Corps wetlands delineation training and cerliliealion program, 

 and it expedites completion ol wetlands maps by the hW.S National 

 Wetlands Inventory. These changes will laeilitale Taster wetlands 

 delineations and provide permit applicants with more certainty. 



H.R. 3.^0 addresses many ol the concerns raised by Ihe agriculture 

 community. ll reaffirms current stalutt)ry exemption lor normal, 

 ongoing farming, ranching and silvicultural activities. The bill also 

 serves the agricultural community by putting in place through 

 legislation existing exemptions for the agricultural community and 

 by exempting normal farming activities on wetlands used lor crop 

 production at least once every five years. 



F-'inally, the bill encourages landowners to conserve wetlands. It 

 creates lax incentives for wetlands preservation and for ct)mpatible 

 uses oi wetlands. Collectively, these provisions strike an admirable 

 balance between the concerns of the regulated community and the 

 environment. If enacted into law, the Edwards bill will make the 

 §404 program more efficient, fairer, easier to use and more 

 protective of the environment. 



H.R. 3465. "Wetlands Protection and Management Act" 



TU supports many of the provisions of H.R. 3465, the "Wetlands 

 Protection and Management Act, introduced by Chairmen Gerry 

 Studds and E. (Kika) de la Garza on November 8, l'-)93. We believe 

 that, with strengthening amendments, the bill can make a significant 



