COMMITTEE TO STUDY WETLANDS BEGINS ITS DELIBERATIONS TODAY

Two Southeast Missouri legislators serving as co-chairmen of a recently formed House-Senate task force on wetlands, say they are hoping a meeting today week will give members a better understanding of the whole issue of wetlands preservation.

Sen. Jerry Howard, D-Dexter, and Rep. Larry Thomason, D-Kennett, have called a meeting for today in Jefferson City. The 12-member panel will hear from representatives of state and federal agencies and interest groups interested in wetlands.

"This meeting is primarily designed to lay groundwork for the committee and inform them of the scope of wetlands matters as a whole, as it relates to national and state wetlands issues," said Howard.

The federal government has a policy of no net loss in wetlands, which means for every acre taken out of wetlands for development, another acre must be devoted to wetlands.

But both Thomason and Howard are concerned that the federal government appears to be changing its wetlands definition, and they want to know what kind of impact that will have on Missouri. They would also like to know exactly how wetlands are defined.

Howard said he intends to ask representatives of groups testifying this week to give their definition of wetlands as it applies to the agency or organization they represent. From that, he hopes to reach some understanding on a common definition.

"Before DNR runs crazy with this, we want to make sure they are on guard with us," declared Thomason. "A lot of people have a misconception on this issue.

"We want to make sure needless paperwork and needless regulations are not imposed on people by the impact of this."

He added that changes in federal regulations may ultimately give more authority to the states in designating wetlands, and so it will be important that the Department of Natural Resources' uses a fair definition in Missouri.

Thomason and Howard, who handled legislation this year creating the task force, are especially concerned about the issue because most of the Bootheel's prime farm land is a drained swamp. They fear if regulations get out of balance, some prime farm land could be taken away.

"The real wetlands problems are on the coast," noted Thomason. "When they lose it out there, we don't want to pick it up here and say some farm in the Bootheel along the river is now a wetland because some estuary was lost in North Carolina."

Thomason explained that the initial definition of wetlands, prepared by the federal Environmental Protection Agency, would designate about twice as many acres as wetlands from the 105 million acres the government originally thought would be included. So, a new definition was drafted and is currently under review to protect 105 million acres.

Thomason said he supports this new definition. He and Howard agree there is a need for wetlands preservation in the country and in Missouri, but believe there is a point where it can get out of hand.

Another part of the new definition, Howard said, is that land converted from wetlands prior to 1985 is eligible for farming and can be covered by federal farm programs.

The committee will hear from a diverse group on Wednesday, and may meet Thursday if necessary.

Among those scheduled to testify from agencies are: Joe Hughes, chief of the permit processing section for the Corps of Engineers in Kansas City; Jerry Barbander, field supervisor for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Columbia; Pat Graham, of Columbia, from the U.S. Soil Conservation Service; Dave Foster, from the National Park Service in Van Buren; Carrie Herndon, from the EPA wetlands protection section in Kansas City, Kan.; Sara Hearne-Steelman, from the DNR Wetlands Committee; and Bill Dieffenbach, assistant environmental administrator for the Department of Conservation.

Interest group representatives will include: Scott Campbell, of the St. Louis Homebuilders Association; George Grugett, executive vice president of the Lower Mississippi Valley Flood Control Association of Memphis; Bob Hitzhusen, from the Missouri Farm Bureau; Charles Callison, from the Audubon Society in Jefferson City; and Becky Rollings, of the Sierra Club in Jefferson City.

"In our committee's case, we want to get educated totally on all the ins and outs of the law," said Thomason. "We want to know who has jurisdiction and also want to hear from people who have a vital interest in this issue from all sides."