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<br />1329
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<br />6A
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<br />THE WICHIT A EAGlE.~EACON
<br />
<br />Wl'dnesday. No~ember 16, 1988
<br />
<br />Group proposes
<br />
<br />strategy to save
<br />U.S. ,vetlands
<br />
<br />By Lee Bandy
<br />Of our WJsl"nqloll bureau
<br />W ASlIINGTON - lik('nlng the
<br />rapid destruction of lht' nalion's
<br />marshes to the "Texas chain saw
<br />mas..""cn.... a broad-ba~d group of
<br />governors. businessmen and envi-
<br />ronmentalists Tuesday proposed
<br />nn ambitious new nationnl polley
<br />for managing and preserving the
<br />counlr~ts remaining wellnnds.
<br />"These silent ma~lles are as
<br />\"alunble as a Van Gogh, as pre.
<br />cious a<; lhe Hope Diamond," and
<br />IhE'y must "no longer play Ihe vic-
<br />tim In the national version of the
<br />'lexa<; chain!>aw massacre:" !'.1.ld
<br />New Jersey Gov. Thomas K('on.
<br />chairman or lhe bipartisan p:mel.
<br />The National Wetlands Policy
<br />Forum, which wa<; convened at
<br />lhe requesl of Ihe Environmental
<br />ProteclJon Agency, reh'[I~ed [I set
<br />ot aboul 100 recommendations.
<br />
<br />AMONG T1IEM are recommen-
<br />dations that the f('deral govern-
<br />menl allow no overall nel loss of
<br />the nallon's remaining 99 million
<br />acres or .....ellands and a long.range
<br />program ~publlc !lQ.c!.priv[lt~_
<br />resources to Increase Ihe ~uantify
<br />arid quallty -0' lh~""'eiiands. -
<br />.- The report .....as Immediately as-
<br />~iled by lhe Pacific Legal Foun.
<br />dalion, a conservative California-
<br />based public Interest group, .....hlch
<br />said II failed to slrike [I proper
<br />balance bet.....een the goal ot pro-
<br />t('clin~ wetlands and the need for
<br />economic development.
<br />"When we hegin protecling .....el.
<br />l<lnds Ihat oHer no or little envi-
<br />ronmental benefits. . , .....e can ac-
<br />tually freeze out valuable land
<br />that could be developed to allevi-
<br />ale overcrowding," said attorney
<br />Tom Hookano, an expert in land
<br />use and property ril;hts law.
<br />The report, the first significant
<br />post-eleClion proposal on an envi.
<br />ronmental Issue, .....i11 be given 10
<br />Presidenl-clecl George Bush and
<br />Congress.
<br />"We will bring Ihis 10 their at.
<br />lention, not onl~S9I.!<C:!U.t.If'P\Jrt
<br />for its recommendations, but to
<br />arrirm what can be ;:l('compli<;hed
<br />lhruugh a constructive, bipartisan
<br />...IVl.I;:.......:. :>did WlIlIum Reilly,
<br />president of The Conservation
<br />Foundation, which endorsed the
<br />report.
<br />
<br />. Noting that Bush already has en-
<br />dorsed the concept of protecting
<br />lhe nation's remaining wetlands,
<br />Kean predicted Ihe presidenl-elcct
<br />would respond posi!Jvely. "For the
<br />[irst lime tn a long timc. we havt'
<br />!'I('('ted "r1!1lf'''''uy II.tlll tlntler.
<br />~[.Ul,ls Itle.~~' (environment..l) IS-
<br />:;lJ~'s," he said.
<br />
<br />lOl'\G CONSIDERED waste-
<br />lands 10 be dmined and tilled, wet-
<br />lands recently have been reCOR'
<br />
<br />
<br />Kean
<br />... Predicts
<br />positive
<br />response
<br />by George
<br />Bush.
<br />
<br />nized as valuahle for reducinR
<br />flood damage, aballng waler pollu-
<br />lion, nurturing fi~heries and prQo
<br />lectlng Wildlife.
<br />Hair of the nation's original
<br />21.'i million acres ot wellands has
<br />been lost, and continued drainage
<br />hm: !'>pnwned bitter legal fights be-
<br />t......ecn const'rvatinn (lnd develop.
<br />ment interests, EI'A says wellands
<br />are being filled In at Ihe rate of
<br />350,000 anes pcr year,
<br />If the report becomes law, de.
<br />\'elopers will be required to juslUy
<br />building on wellands, said Rebec-
<br />ca Hammer, a top aide 10 EPA
<br />Administrator lee Thomas.
<br />The sludy was endorsed by an
<br />array of parties inlerested tn wel'
<br />lands regulation and management,
<br />including tlll:' National Wildlife
<br />Federalion, National Audubon So-
<br />ciety and the chief executive of
<br />Allantic Richfield.
<br />
<br />TO l:"\fREASE the nalion's .....et-
<br />lands base, Ihe forum r('commend-
<br />ed several proposals, such as a
<br />National Wetlands Preservalion
<br />Trust 10 offer financial incentives
<br />to landowners 10 prolect wellands
<br />permanenlly and Increa<;ed fed-
<br />eral-private sector eHort'\ to ac-
<br />Quire, preserve and restore wet-
<br />lands.
<br />The group also called for pIal"
<br />ing wetlands protection under a
<br />!'oingle tederat agency that would
<br />lhen delegale aUlhorlly 10 slales
<br />that adopl federal preservaflon
<br />l:uideJines.
<br />"Currenlly, we have too many
<br />f('dl'ral and stale agencies In-
<br />volved In permit decl!'olotL'\, which
<br />ha'\ everyone involved actinR like
<br />a dog chasing hIs tall," !'aid Gov.
<br />Carroll Campbell of South CaroH.
<br />oa, forum vtce chairman.
<br />
<br />Gov, Booth Gardner of Washing-
<br />ton, a Democrat and forum vice
<br />chairman, said he had ordered his
<br />DepartnH'nt of Ecology 10 draft a
<br />repor1 atldres<;lnr.: the stnle's w('l.
<br />1:1",!~ mal);lr,p;W'I:! ;'!lll rllo:,'(l!on
<br />nl'~ .1"
<br />In a ~1:llenH'nl. EPA chief
<br />1I1orn;~., called the report "a vital
<br />brgmning." Now cOlJJes tile "cru-
<br />cial next !'otep," pulling the recom-
<br />'mendallotL'\ Into Rcllan, he said,
<br />
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