Is local government wetland and watershed management a new concept?
A. No. Partial integration of wetlands into watershed management has been undertaken by thousands of local governments throughout the Nation in the last two decades. These local governments have mapped wetlands and adopted protection and restoration policies for wetlands and other waters as part of broader land use planning and watershed management efforts. Their efforts take into account natural functions and values, flood hazards, suitability of soils for onsite waste disposal, costs of public services, and other factors. These efforts have not involved detailed analysis of hydrologic regimes or the functions and values of individual wetlands. More recently, hundreds of local governments have undertaken even more detailed wetland and watershed management programs with wetlands as one component (e.g., King County, Washington; Portland, Oregon). West Eugene, Oregon and others have undertaken more detailed wetland inventories and planning efforts. Hundreds of local governments have also
