135 



2 



1 (1) restoring degraded streams, rivers, wet- 



2 lands, and other waterways to their natural state is 



3 a cost effective and environmentally sensitive means 



4 to control flooding, excessive erosion, sedimentation, 



5 and nonpoint pollution, including stormwater runoff; 



6 (2) protecting and restoring watersheds pro- 



7 vides critical ecological benefits by restoring and 



8 maintaining biodiversity, providing fish and wildlife 



9 habitat, filtering pollutants, and performing other 



10 important ecological functions; 



11 (3) waterway restoration and protection 



12 projects can provide important economic benefits by 



13 rejuvenating waterfront areas, providing recreational 



14 opportunities, and creating community service jobs 



15 and job training opportunities in environmental res- 



16 toration for disadvantaged youth, displaced resource 



17 harvesters, and other unemployed residents; and 



18 (4) restoring waterways helps to increase the 



19 fishing potential of waterways and restore dimin- 



20 ished fisheries, which are important to local and re- 



21 gional cultures and economies and to low income 



22 and ethnic cultural groups who rely heavily on fish 



23 as a food source. 



24 (b) Policy. — Therefore, Congress declares it in the 



25 national interest to — 



•HR 4289 IH 



