A. INTRODUCTION 



This National Wetlands Priority Conservation Plan (NWPCP) has been 

 prepared by the United States (U.S.) Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) 

 on behalf of the Department of the Interior (Department) in response to 

 section 301 of the Emergency Wetlands Resources Act of 1986 (Act). 



The NWPCP provides a process that identifies wetlands that should 

 receive priority attention for Federal and State acquisition. The new 

 authority significantly broadens the Department's wetlands acquisition 

 mandate to include consideration of all values of wetlands in making 

 acquisition decisions. 



The NWPCP is intended to assist Federal, State and local agencies in 

 making wetland acquisition decisions when Land and Water Conser- 

 vation Fund appropriations are used. The NWPCP can also assist other 

 users including governmental agencies, conservation groups or private 

 individuals, in acquisition planning that complements Federal and State 

 efforts to set priorities for wetlands protection through acquisition. 



The document discusses wetland values and losses and provides 

 evaluation criteria to be used in making wetland acquisition deter- 

 minations. Guidance is also provided on the use of the NWPCP and its 

 relationship with other legislation, plans, policies and programs. 



Wetland protection and use are controlled or managed by regulation, 

 policy guidance or acquisition of interests in wetlands. No single 

 legislative authority addresses all the facets of wetland protection or use. 

 Ways and means of wetland protection that do not require acquisition 

 include Federal, State and local laws, tax code provisions and regulatory 

 programs. The primary regulatory mechanism for Federal mvolvement 

 in the use of wetlands is section 404 of the Clean Water Act. However 

 wetland protection afforded by this program is not comprehensive and 

 additional losses of the Nation's wetlands continue. 



Wetland acquisition, therefore, offen may be a desired option to best serve 

 the public interest when other means for wetland protection or use have 

 been less effective. Acquisition of an interest in a wetland (e.g 

 obtaining public access) also may be desirable to protect the wetland. 

 Additionally, acquisition of restorable wetlands can serve to replace or 

 improve some of the functional values of wetlands which have been lost to 



society 



