EP 1165-2-1
30 Jul 99
e. Wetlands which serve as valuable storage areas for storm
and flood waters;
f. Wetlands which are groundwater discharge areas that
maintain minimum base flows important to aquatic resources and those
which are prime natural recharge areas. Prime recharge areas are
locations where surface and groundwater are directly interconnected;
and
g. Wetlands which through natural water filtration processes
serve significant water purification functions.
19-12. Administration's Wetlands Plan. The Administration announced
its wetlands policy on 24 August 1993. This policy is based upon five
principles including the adoption of the interim goal of no overall
net loss of the Nation's wetlands and the long term goal to increase
the quality and quantity of the Nation's wetland base in a manner
similar to that described in Section 307 of WRDA 1990. The five
principles are as follows:
a. Support for the interim goal of no net loss of the
Nation's remaining wetlands and the long-term goal of increasing the
quality and quantity of Nation's wetlands base;
b. Regulatory programs must be efficient, equitable, flexible
and predictable and administered in a manner that avoids unnecessary
impacts upon private property;
c. Non-regulatory programs, such as advanced planning and
wetlands restoration, are vital elements of meeting the wetlands
goals;
d. The Federal Government should expand partnerships with
state, tribal and local governments and the private sector and
approach wetlands protection and restoration in an ecosystem/watershed
context; and
e. Federal wetlands policy should be based upon the best
scientific information available. It was further stated that the
restoration of drained or otherwise degraded wetlands would be key to
achieving this goal, thus it can be seen that the Civil Works water
resources program has a unique opportunity to make a significant
contribution to the President's wetland goals through the development
and implementation of ecosystem restoration and protection projects
and through its regulatory functions.
19-13. Executive Order (EO) 11990, Protection of Wetlands. This EO
directs the Corps, along with other executive branch agencies, to provide
leadership and take action to minimize the destruction, loss or
degradation of wetlands, and to preserve and enhance the natural and
beneficial values of wetlands in carrying out its Civil Works activities.
The EO sets forth several major requirements that Federal agencies are
required to comply with before undertaking any new construction in
wetlands. They are:
a. Prior to undertaking an action in wetlands, determine
whether a practicable alternative to the action exists (if a
practicable alternative exists, the action should not be undertaken in
wetlands).
19-8
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