| Question 1: |
Is the President’s April 2004 wetlands goal call for a net gain of 3 million wetland acres? |
| Answer: |
No, the President celebrated the federal policy of “no net loss” of wetlands and called for a new commitment to restore or create, protect, and improve the quantity or quality of 3 million wetland acres over the next 5 years. This is an absolute figure, not a net gain. |
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| Question 2: |
Why were the accomplishments reported in the 2007 President’s Earth Day Report significantly lower than the anticipated estimated accomplishments reported in the 2006 report? |
| Answer: |
Each year estimated accomplishments are adjusted when actual data becomes available. Accomplishment data are reported in the year the project is completed, land acquired, or long term easement is purchased. Estimated out year accomplishment estimates are also adjusted each year. |
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| Question 3 : |
A centerpiece of the report is that you are on track to meet the president’s goal. Yet when one takes a close look at the document, progress is measured in terms of estimates, and that, by your own admission, you do not have very good tracking on your results. Therefore, how can you be sure of your progress? Isn’t this just another political document from the Administration that lacks credibility? |
| Answer: |
We are on track. We are confident of our methodology. It should be noted that this report is the only one that makes and effort to correct for over-reporting due to partnerships. The report acknowledges that over-reporting due to partnerships remains a significant concern. The agencies will continue to work on double-counting problem during the next year, particularly to determine whether the problem can be solved through the use of geographic information system (GIS) technology or other geo-enabled technologies. |
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| Question 4: |
Over the last three years, according to the wetlands report, the Bush Administration restored or created, 888,000 wetlands acres. But is that amount reduced, or even superceded, by corresponding wetlands losses? If no, where is your proof? |
| Answer: |
As part of his Earth Day 2004 commitment, President Bush pledged to accelerate completion of the next National Wetlands Inventory report. President Bush directed the Department of Interior (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) to complete the next report by the end of 2005. The report to Congress Status and Trends of Wetlands in the Conterminous United States 1998 to 2004 documented the first average annual net gain of wetlands of 32,000 acres (12,900 ha) gains through restoration and creation surpassed net wetland losses.The next report to Congress as required by the Emergency Wetlands Resources Act on the status and trends of wetlands in the conterminous United States is due to be completed in 2010. |
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| Question 5: |
Environmental groups complain that EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers are about to issue field guidance pursuant to the Supreme Court on the Rapanos/Carabell decision that effectively strips federal protections for isolated wetlands. Does this guidance conflict with the President’s wetlands goal? |
| Answer: |
On Earth Day 2004 when President Bush announced his goal of moving beyond “no net loss” of wetlands and called for a new commitment to attain an overall increase in the quantity and quality of wetlands in America. Since then the federal government has spent approximately 2.7 billion dollars restoring or creating, improving, and protecting wetlands. And as the wetlands report shows, the federal government is on track to meet the President’s wetlands goal and expects further progress toward that goal in FY 2008.
Moreover, President Bush remains firmly committed to full and effective implementation of the Clean Water Act and to the policy of “no net loss.” |
