§3932 Reports to Congress

Summary

The Secretary, working with the Secretary of Agriculture, must prepare and send two reports to congressional committees. One report is due by March 30, 1987 and covers wetlands in the lower Mississippi alluvial plain and the prairie pothole regions. The other is due by September 30, 1987 and covers wetlands in the rest of the United States. Each report must explain why wetlands are lost, damaged, or improved. It must list and review federal laws, rules, spending, financial help, and tax rules that either harm or help wetlands. It must show federal spending tied to wetland loss or protection and describe who owns wetlands (public or private). The reports must analyze the environmental and economic effects of stopping or limiting future federal spending, aid, or tax breaks that affect wetlands (for example public works, farm price supports, commodity loans and purchases, disaster aid, soil conservation, and some tax rules). They must also analyze the effects of not restricting such federal actions (for example normal forestry work, federal water projects and channel work, certain farm programs for cotton, feed grain, wheat, and rice, and federal spending on public roads that are key links). Finally, the reports must give recommendations for conserving wetlands after comparing state, local, federal, and private options.