205 



STATEMENT 



OF 



THE NATIONAL WETLANDS COALITION 



The National Wetlands Coalition is an incorporated group of 

 approximately 70 companies, Native American groups, associations and local 

 governments that represent a cross-section of the community that is subject to 

 regulation by the Section 404 permitting program. A list of the members of the 

 Coalition and the Statement of Principles that we support are attached as 

 Attachments 1 and 2. We recognize the importance of our nation's functioning 

 wetlands base and support the goal of "no overall net loss of wetlands" when 

 expressed in terms of functions and values rather than acres. We believe, based on 

 recent information released by the Soil Conservation Service and the Corps of 

 Engineers, that the nation is much closer to achieving the stated goal of "no overall 

 net loss" rather than the purported continuing annual loss of 290,000 acres of 

 wetlands, which we believe to be a totally erroneous figure. 



The Coalition strongly supports, H.R. 1330, the Wetlands Conservation 

 and Management Act of 1 993, as the program that can achieve the nation's wetlands 

 conservation goals consistent with our nation's tradition of respecting the property 

 rights of individuals, our nation's need for continued economic growth and the 

 maintenance of strong local tax bases. The Coalition strongly opposes H.R. 350, the 

 Wetlands Reform Act of 1993. The Coalition also opposes a number of provisions in 

 H.R. 3465, the Wetlands Protection and Management Act of 1993. The Coalition 

 supports many of the concepts contained in the President's Plan that was announced 

 on August 24, 1993. However, we cannot express a position on most of the 

 specifics of that program since those specifics have not yet been forthcoming. 



