2.06 National Wetlands Policy

Wetlands are among the most productive of all natural landscapes. They provide food and shelter for birds, aquatic and other wildlife, a means for improving water quality and supply and are an essential source of human food supply. They constitute a means for controlling floods and erosion, and provide valuable recreation and open space areas. Thus the function and value of the nation's wetlands must be protected.

At the same time, the needs of the nation's growing population for housing, transportation and other infrastructure requires that we accommodate physical growth and development in our communities. Sound public policy requires recognition of the values of economic and physical development, as well as environmental protection. Thus, on matters involving physical development in wetlands areas, a balance must be achieved among social, economic and environmental impacts and values.

The National League of Cities supports a national goal of preserving the value and function of America's wetlands. All wetlands, however, are not of equal ecological function and value.

The National League of Cities supports efforts to avoid negative impacts on wetlands where practicable (i.e., after taking into consideration cost, existing technology and logistics in light of overall project purposes), to minimize them where possible and to provide reasonable compensatory mitigation where the loss of high value wetlands areas is significant and unavoidable.

The Congress should establish a comprehensive national wetlands policy. Wetlands protection should occur not by memoranda of understanding between agencies, but rather through a public process that involves broad public debate over risks, costs and benefits, and the development of a national consensus. The Administration should implement that policy by adhering to the traditional rulemaking process.

While the Administration has initiated a process, subject to public review and comment, to clarify the definition and delineation of wetlands, similar initiatives should now be undertaken to classify wetlands on the basis of their relative ecological function and value.

While the new delineation manual may result in the declassification of some current wetlands areas, it also should address and define allowable uses for areas which remain classified as wetlands.

A classification scheme should be developed for the nation's wetlands which recognizes relative differences in the ecological value of individual wetlands areas, classifies them accordingly and treats them differently relative to their preservation, protection or development. A sound wetlands classification scheme must also recognize the differential presence of wetlands among regions of the country and the need to exercise different policy choices relative to their treatment for development purposes. a. Where individual wetlands areas perform relatively marginal or insignificant ecological functions, their development should be allowed to proceed in a streamlined manner.

b. Where wetlands are of the highest ecological value and irreplaceable, development should be prevented completely.

c. In areas where wetlands are abundant or are the dominant land type (e.g. in Alaska), and where proposed development would not result in substantial loss to overall wetlands function and value, replacement of lost wetlands acreage should not be required.

d. In areas where wetlands are very limited and losses would result in a serious reduction of wetlands functions, compensatory mitigation should be undertaken. Federal, state and local governments should be encouraged to acquire wetlands and coastal lands which are being disposed of by the Resolution Trust Corporation (RTC) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). The RTC and FDIC should give priority to the disposal of acquired properties by act of donation to government and private entities which will preserve and maintain properties in a natural state as public open space. A system for crediting the RTC and FDIC for donating property for these purposes should also be developed.

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