Sherry Boehlert

Mr. BOEHLERT

Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, the gentleman points out some legitimate concerns, reading from that Arizona publication. I wish to point out that in title III, section 301, entitled ``Arid Areas,'' we address the legitimate concern you have. So the substitute does address that legitimate concern. I thank my colleague for yielding.

Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, I withdraw my reservation of objection.

Mr. BOEHLERT. Reserving the right to object, Mr. Chairman, I think that works contrary to the interests of the authors of the amendment because there are four of us who wish to speak as advocates, so those four should each receive 5 minutes. I think there are two opposed. That would be four and two. So there would be seven more speakers, 5 minutes apiece.

Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, I would like to compliment the gentleman, too, because we are vitally concerned with the interests of agriculture. The gentleman has evidenced a sensitivity to that, and we are glad to accept that proposal.

Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. BOEHLERT. The Governors support title VIII to the bill as----

Mr. BOEHLERT. Wetlands provision we have adopted the language advanced by the National Governors Association because, like the gentleman, we agree that the Governors are in the best position to deal with these very sensitive issues.

Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, the gentleman said this would gut the provisions of the bill that bring us into the 21st century. It would be helpful to us if the gentleman elucidates those particular provisions because we are all anxious to go into the 21st century.

Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. BOEHLERT. Some of the concerns expressed here have not been factual.

Mr. BOEHLERT. He was genuinely concerned about that. The concern was heartfelt.

Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, the exemptions specifically allow repair and construction of tiles. We also have in our substitute the same exemptions for agriculture as are contained in H.R. 961.

Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, I would like to make reference to some comments made by a colleague and member of the committee, the gentleman from Iowa [Mr. Latham], earlier, particularly as they apply to agriculture. I want everyone to know we are very sensitive to the needs of agriculture. Our alternative specifically provides exemptions for the repair and construction of tiles.

Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, I want to make it absolutely clear that the alternative permits repair of tiles on agricultural land. Our alternative does permit that.

Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. BOEHLERT. I want my colleague to know that I am just as sensitive as he is to the plight of America's farmers. That is why, as the chairman of the northeast ag caucus, I have worked for 10 years to protect the interests of the farmers. That is why our bill includes, our substitute, not just Boehlert's, Saxton and Roemer, the same exemptions for agriculture as does the committee bill. That is why we have added in committee a $500 million provision per year for nonpoint- source pollution, because our farmers are sick of sanctimonious sermons. They want some assistance. They are responsible stewards of our land but they need some assistance as they deal with best management practices and the type of thing that they need to have to get on with the job because they are responsible stewards.

Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, my colleague points out that the bill will not turn back the clock. I would point out that the bill, as reported by the Committee, would repeal the storm water section. The bill would repeal the coastal zone section. I would also point out that we recognize that there are a number of provisions in existing law that need to be addressed and some changes need to be made. That is why the Saxton-Boehlert-Roemer substitute has 70 percent of the language identical to the committee bill, because we do recognize some changes are in order. But we want to do it in a commonsense way, not just throw out everything in the name of flexibility, and I could not agree more with the gentleman, that we do want to give the Governors more responsibility. That is why our section on wetlands totally embraces the proposal advanced by the National Governors Association. That is why our section dealing with coastal zone management totally embraces the language advanced by the Coastal States Organization which represents 30 States and 30 Governors.

Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. BOEHLERT. If the gentleman will yield further, let me point out that this is a 334-page bill that was just made available Thursday. The report was just available yesterday for the first time. They have not read the report.

Mr. BOEHLERT. Let me stress once again on agriculture, solely by the Secretary of Agriculture, not some commission, but the commission that is set up outside of this to deal with nonagricultural lands is set up to give guidance to the States. The National Governors' Association, we have embraced in our substitute specific language of the National Governors' Association dealing with the subject of wetlands. We agree with you, we want to give our Governors, those are the laboratories, we want to give them more responsibility, more flexibility.

Mr. BOEHLERT. I want to point out on delineation, section 809 of the bill. I want to stress this, delineation by the Secretary of Agriculture, for purposes of this section, wetlands located on agricultural land and associated nonagricultural lands shall be delineated solely by the Secretary of Agriculture. That is critically important; not by the Environmental Protection Agency, not by some commission, solely by the Secretary of Agriculture. We are very sensitive to the needs of the agriculture community. I am privileged to represent a district that has a large agricultural interest.