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In addition, tine Administration will examine opportunities to expand existing 

 federal programs that seek to restore wetlands through cooperative, voluntary 

 agreements with private and other non-federal landowners. We have found that 

 building partnerships with landowners, conservation groups. State agencies, and other 

 interests is an extremely effective mechanism to pool financial and technical resources 

 and expand wetlands restoration opportunrties. 



To increase State and local roles in the wetlands protection and to reduce 

 duplication between wetland protection programs on different levels of government, 

 the Administration encourages Congress to adopt several measures. The first is to 

 authorize the development of State/Tribal watershed protection programs which 

 should provide for local and regional involvement and federal approval of State 

 programs, including minimum requirements for wetlands protection and restoration 

 planning. In addition, the AdminisTration recommends that Congress provide EPA with 

 the authority to use its Wetlands Grant program to fund both the development and 

 implementation of State/Tribal Wetlands Conservation Plans. Congress should also 

 authorize partial assumption of the Section 404 program by States and Tribes as an 

 interim step toward full assumption. Finally, the Administration recommends that 

 Congress amend Section 404(e) of the CWA to provide explicitly for the issuance of 

 programmatic general permits with appropriate environmental safeguards for approved 

 State, Tribal, regional, and local regulatory programs. 



The Administration pojicy will streamline and clarify wetlands programs 

 affecting the agricultural community. At the heart of this effort is a commitment on 



