4 Authority 



(b) CONSULTATION - The Secretary shall establish the plan required 

 by subsection (a) after consultation with- 



(1) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; 



(2) the Secretary of Commerce; 



(3) the Secretary of Agriculture; and 



(4) (the chief executive officer of) each State. 



(c) FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED - The Secretary, in establishing 

 the plan required by subsection (a), shall consider : 



(1) the estimated proportion remaining of the respective types of 

 wetlands which existed at the time of European settlement; 



(2) the estimated current rate of loss and threat of future losses of the 

 respective types of wetlands; and 



(3) the contributions of the respective types of wetlands to- 



(A) wildlife, including endangered and threatened species, 

 migratory birds, and resident species; 



(B) commercial and sport fisheries; 



(C) surface and groundwater quality and quantity, and flood 

 control; 



(D) outdoor recreation; and 



(E) other areas or concerns the Secretary considers appropriate." 



For the purpose of this NWPCP, types of wetlands will be based on the 

 wetlands classification system and terminology developed by the Service 

 (Cowardin et al., 1979). The 1986 Report of the U.S. Senate Committee on 

 Environment and Public Works (Senate Committee Report) on the Act 

 indicates that "region-by-region" refers to natural provinces rather than 

 political jurisdictions; therefore, the ecoregion classification by Bailey 

 (1978) is adopted for use in the NWPCP. (The Bailey classification 

 system was used because it is comparable to Hammond's (1970) physical 

 subdivisions of the U.S., the system used to establish boundaries for data 

 collection in the Service's 1954-74 wetlands trends study.) "Interests in 

 wetlands" refers to the financial interest, e.g., fee title acquisition or less 

 than fee interests, such as conservation easements. Refer to section J for 

 complete definitions of terms. 



Section 303 of the Act states that for Fiscal Year 1988 and thereafter each 

 SCORP shall be revised to specifically address wetlands within that State 

 as an important outdoor recreation resource as a prerequisite to approval 

 for LWCF Act funding of recreational projects by the Secretary. 

 Alternatively, a State may submit a State wetlands priority plan, 

 developed in consultation with the State fish and wildlife agency and 

 consistent with the NWPCP, as an addendum to the existing SCORP. 



Section 303 of the Act also amends the LWCF Act to authorize wetlands 

 specifically as suitable replacement for LWCF lands slated for 

 conversion to other uses. Thus, wetlands are considered to be of reason- 



