Wetlands Improvement Act of 1991

Summary

Wetlands Improvement Act of 1991 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to revise provisions concerning permits for dredged or fill material. Authorizes the Secretary of the Army to issue permits for the following activities conducted in navigable waters: (1) the dredging, excavation, channelization, draining, or flooding of wetlands; and (2) similar activities that impair the flow, reach, or circulation of such waters. Sets forth conditions under which a permit application is not required to receive expedited Federal review. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Corps of Engineers, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to submit to the Congress an analysis of the needs of the Corps of Engineers and EPA for additional personnel, administrative resources, and funding to improve implementation of the wetlands permit program. Requires specified percentages of funds for such program to be used for: (1) the training and certification of individuals as wetlands delineators authorized by the Water Resources Development Act of 1990; and (2) the improvement of existing education and outreach programs of the Corps of Engineers or EPA regarding wetlands. Requires the Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service to use: (1) specified percentages of funds for the Service for the existing wetlands mapping program and to conduct mapping in areas with the potential for delineation of large areas of wetlands; and (2) amounts as necessary to delineate wetlands in watersheds and ecosystems for which the need for delineation is particularly acute. Requires the Director to update maps under the existing program at least once every 15 years. Excludes from the definition of "wetlands" under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act any area of cropland that: (1) is manipulated and cropped before December 23, 1985; (2) no longer exhibits important wetlands functions; and (3) is of a type described in regulations issued by the Administrator. Requires the Administrator and the Secretary to contract with the National Academy of Sciences to determine the wetlands functions and values of such croplands in each of their current, abandoned, and restored states. Directs the Administrator, based on the findings of such study, to issue regulations describing croplands that are not wetlands.

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2 official files

• Introduced in House (text)

  Introduced in House · EN

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• Introduced in House

  summary · EN · 3 October 1991

  Open at official source

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