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A FAIR, FLEXIBLE, AND EFFECTTVE APPROACH 19 



comprehensive strategy for achieving the Administration's wetlands goak. However, 

 stemming the net loss of the Nation's wetlands base and achieving a long-term increase 

 in wetlands acreage is dependent upon restoring wetlands that have been drained, diked, 

 or otherwise destroyed in the past. 



The universe of restorable former wetlands is predominantly on private lands, and the 

 Administration presently has in place a number of Federal programs that focus on or 

 incorporate voluntary, cooperative efforts to restore wetlands on private lands (e.g., FWS's 

 Partners for Wildlife program, Bay and Estuary program, and North American Waterfowl 

 Management Plan Joint Ventures; USDA's Wetlands Reserve, Water Bank, Water Quality 

 Incentives, Forestry Incentives, and Stewardship Incentives programs.) The 

 Administration will review existing Federal programs that seek to restore wetlands 

 through cooperative, voluntary agreements and outreach efforts with private and other 

 non-Federal landowners, and will examine opportunities to expand such programs, 

 including education and outreach activities. 



• Revise the Executive Order on Wetlands. The existing executive order on wetlands 

 will be revised to incorporate the Administration's interim and long term wetland goals 

 and to establish wetlands restoration as an essential vehicle for Federal and quasi-Federal 

 agencies to achieve those goals through a voltmtary approach. 



H. ROLES OF FEDERAL AGENCIES 



bsue Denoition: Public support for Federal wetlands protection programs, such as the Qean 

 Water Act Seaion 404 regulatory program and the Food Security Act Swampbuster program, has 

 suffered during recent years from a perception that multiple agency roles in the Administration 

 of these programs has contributed to confusion, delays, overlap, and a general sense that no 

 single agency is "in charge". 



Administration Position: The Administration is initiating steps to streamline the 

 implementation of Federal wetlands protection programs by reducing duplication, overlap, 

 and delay. For example, a memorandum of agreement has recently been signed to give 

 the Soil Conservation Service, in consultation with the Fish and Wildlife Service, the lead 

 agency for making wetlands delineations and mitigation decisions on agricultural land (see 

 AGRICULTURE). 



The Administration is committed to providing for effective and timely participation by 

 the agencies with roles in Federal programs affecting wetlands while emphasizing the 

 ultimate role of a single Federal agency decisionmaker. This increased coordination 

 among the relevant agencies will be accomplished through the following mechanism: 



• Continue Implementation of the 1992 Interagency Section 404(q) MOAs. EPA, the 

 Corps, FWS, and NMFS have issued guidance to their field staff to improve interagency 



