to include all the waters of the United States. This, in
Lieutenant General J. W. Morris retired in
effect, increased our authority to grant permits many
fold. At first we really didn't anticipate the complexity
September as Chief of the U. S. Army Corps
of the program. Its size-based on sheer numbers of
of Engineers. Ann Hoffnar of the Corps'
permit cases-is staggering and many of the cases are
Civil Works Directorate talked with the
quite controversial and complex. Among our most
general for Water Spectrum readers prior to
difficult permit decisions were to deny the permit for
his departure.
development on Marco Island, Florida and to approve
the permit for a refinery at Newport News, Virginia.
There have been many other difficult decisions.
General Morris, from your days as Division Engineer,
Missouri River Division, through your days as Chief
It's been a good program though; I wouldn't want to
of Engineers- this roughly corresponds to what you've
let the magnitude of the work be misconstrued. I think
called the "decade of the environment"-what do you
we've handled it well. The Corps has earned a
see as the Corps' greatest achievements in the area of
reputation as fair and thorough throughout
environmental protection?
government and private industry as well as the
environmental community.
Probably the greatest achievements are not as much
You've said that the 80s are going to be a decade of
related to specific projects-although there are many
conservation. To our agency of course this primarily
of those-as to our change in direction, so that we
means water conservation. I've heard several
could accommodate national environmental objectives.
definitions. Do you have one that's really satisfactory?
Changing a large organization is always difficult but
we changed our policies and set up the mechanisms to
Yes, my Civil Works staff has come up with a
incorporate environmental law into our operations.
definition which makes sense to me. It simply says that
Environmental planning is now part of our daily
water conservation is any beneficial reduction in water
business. We have biologists, fish and wildlife experts
use or in water losses. Both reduction in use and loss
and scientists from other related fields on our team.
make water for other uses. It's a rather short and I
Without these changes we could never have moved in
think useable definition.
the direction that the country wanted to go.
In his water policy the President has stressed
General Morris, in 1975 you told us at Waler
conservation. I believe the Corps has now worked out
Spectrum that protection of the wetlands must be
a plan of action to implement the President's policy.
given high priority. Didn't this turn out to be a bigger
Can you tell me something about it?
task than we anticipated?
The answer is generally yes. Of course, by 1975 we
Yes, early in his tenure I had an interview with the
were pretty well aware of what this job was going to
President. We talked about the future of the Corps
involve. When the Federal Water Pollution Control
and its programs. One of the last things the President
Act Amendments passed in October 1972, we were
said was "I wish you would develop a water
given increased responsibility, under Section 404, for
conservation program." This request was never put in
regulating construction or any other development of
writing but when you get a request like that from the
President it's usually enough. So we have worked very
the wetlands through a permit process. You may
remember our traditional definition of navigable
hard in this area since that conversation. First we
waters was quite restricted. The new law and
surveyed the literature and then developed our
subsequent court cases broadened "navigable waters"
definition of water conservation. We developed a plan
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