As you know, the Department of the Interior is now endeavoring to conduct its responsibilities 

 through an ecosystem approach. No law states that we must do so; however, one of the 

 purposes of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act is to work with partners to conserve 

 wetland ecosystems. The benefit of such a holistic approach is that an assortment of ecological 

 parameters is assessed for each project. 



Some of these parameters include: impact on waterfowl and nongame migratory bird species 

 that have declining populations; maintenance of long-term wetlands conservation benefits; impact 

 on water quality, flood control, erosion protection and other wetlands functions; impact on 

 sensitive species that are not yet listed as Federally endangered; and impact on biological 

 diversity. 



As with any Federal program, there are certain rules and standards that must be followed, but 

 as the agency administering the program, we have tried to decrease the level of bureaucracy 

 where possible. The Council and the Service continue to seek to improve program 

 administration, while ensuring that the highest priority projects are funded. As an example, this 

 year we provided a proposal outline on personal computer disks for U.S. applicants, and it has 

 met with good reviews. 



We in the Department and our North American Waterfowl Management Plan partners recognize 

 the importance of evaluation. Through the North American Waterfowl Management Plan's Jomt 

 Ventures and the Continental Evaluation Team, studies are being designed and implemented that 



