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and the private property rights backlash that materialized on the floor of the House 



during consideration of the National Biological Survey legislation in October, 1993. 



The Coalition believes strongly that the Section 404 program must be 



reformed to reduce the conflict between our nation's environmental goals and 



economic and property ownership goals. We believe that this environmental program, 



like the Clean Air Act, must evolve away from primary reliance on the "central 



command and control" model of regulation to a more incentives-based program. We 



believe that H.R. 1330, the Wetlands Conservation and Management Act of 1993, 



is the proper Federal Wetlands regulatory program for the nation. 



SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE NATIONAL WETLANDS COALITION : 



The Federal Wetlands Requlatorv Program 



Must Recognize the Legitimate Interests of Private Landowners . 



The dominant reality of the Section 404 program is that 75% of the 

 "wetlands" that are being regulated are privately owned. Congress must ensure that 

 the program minimizes adverse impacts on the value, use and enjoyment of this 

 privately owned property. 



The Coalition believes strongly that the goals of the program should 

 specify that the national goal of "no overall net loss of wetlands functions and values" 

 must be achieved consistent with the national goals of continued economic growth, 

 strong local tax bases and the security of our citizens in the ownership, use and 

 enjoyment of their privately owned property. The Coalition believes that the Secretary 

 of the Army and the Administrator of the EPA, if the EPA remains involved in the 



