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• Encour&ga attendancd by all intttrostad agenclds at the 

 pro-application meotinga with tho permittee and early 

 consultation on the types and locfition of mitigation 

 that will bo required if wetland loaseo occur; 



• Initiate a wetlands delineation training program for 

 private conaultanta and better train agency field etaff 

 on wetlands functions, valuea and delineation, using 

 oroaa-agency training programs to the extent 

 appropriate; 



• Daem permits approved within six months if an agency 

 does not extend the deadline for good cause as 

 determined by the Corps of Engineers; 



• Require consulting agencies to provide site specific 

 information when commenting on individual permits; 



<• Replace consulting agency appeals of individual permits 

 with appeals based on resources or issues of national 

 significance; and 



Expand the use of general permits. 



B. Hetlaads Categorisation 



The Administration will establish an interagency taohnical 

 committee to define a limited number of major wetland categories 

 based on function, value, end the relative scarcity or abundance 

 of different wetlands. The technical committee will complete its 

 work within 18 months and will consult with outside experts in 

 defining the categories. 



C. Mitigation Banking 



The tochnical committee will also refine the details of a market- 

 oriented mitigation banking system based on the categories it 

 defines. The mitigation banking system will be designed to 

 provide adequate inoentives for the private restoration or 

 creation of wetlands that can be used to mitigate the effects of 

 developed wetlands. The mitigation banking system will: 



• Allow permit applicants to satisfy compensatory 

 mitigation requirements through the use of "mitigation 

 credits;" 



Presume satisfaction of permit conditions if tha 

 mitigation credits are from the same or from a higher 



wetland category; and 



