American Wetlands Month Remarks

American Wetlands Month Remarks
U.S. EPA Washington, DC
J. Glenn Eugster

WORKED FOR EPA FROM 1989 TO 1999. FROM 1989-91 I WORKED IN THE WETLANDS OFFICE AND HELPED LAUNCH AMERICAN WETLANDS MONTH.

CURRENTLY I WORK WITH NPS—THE OTHER NPS, THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE IN THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION, WHERE I AM ASSISTANT REGIONAL DIRECTOR. I MANAGE THE REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP OFFICE FOR THE POTOMAC RIVER WATERSHED. MY DUTIES INCLUDE SUPPORT TO 12 NATIONAL PARK UNITS; ASSISTANCE TO THE GREATER WASHINGTON NATIONAL PARKS FUND; RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE POTOMAC AMERICAN HERITAGE RIVER INITIATIVE; COLLABORATION WITH OUR CHESAPEAKE BAY PROGRAM OFFICE; AND ASSISTANCE—AS THE LEAD REGION, FOR THE NEWLY CREATED NPS PARTNERSHIP COUNCIL.

AS WAS THE CASE WHEN I WAS WITH THE WETLANDS OFFICE, MY WORK IS NON-REGULATORY.

WHEN I LEARNED OF THIS YEAR’S AMERICAN WETLANDS MONTH CELEBRATION I WAS PLEASED THAT THIS ANNUAL CELEBRATION HAD CONTINUED FOR MORE THAN A DECADE. AWM IS AN IMPORTANT WAY TO BRING POSITIVE, AND BROAD-BASED, ATTENTION TO IMPORTANT LIVING RESOURCES AND IMPORTANT PUBLIC AND PRIVATE EFFORTS TO PROTECT AND RESTORE WETLAND VALUES AND FUNCTIONS. HATS-OFF-TO THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE CARRIED ON THE TRADITION.

WITH A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF FUZZINESS THAT AGE AND YEARS IN FEDERAL SERVICE BRINGS, I RECALL GETTING AN ASSIGNMENT FROM JOHN MEAGHER ONE DAY. HE HAD VISITED FL, LEARNED OF THEIR WETLANDS MONTH, AND SUGGESTED THAT EPA THINK ABOUT SOMETHING SIMILAR AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL. KEEP IN MIND THAT 1989-90 WAS A TIME OF CONTROVERSEY IN WETLANDS PROTECTION. THE FEDERAL DELINEATION MANUAL WAS A FOCUS OF MANY AND PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS HAD RETURNED AS AN ISSUE OF CONCERN.

AS WE LOOKED AT THINGS WE COULD DO TO HELP BALANCE THE ATTENTION WETLANDS WERE RECEIVING, THE IDEA OF A WETLANDS MONTH SEEMED QUITE APPROPRIATE. WHILE THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT YOU COULDN’T DO WITH WETLANDS, IF YOU OWNED SOME, THERE WAS A DISTURBING SILENCE ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF WETLANDS. SPECIFICALLY, WE WANTED TO LET PEOPLE KNOW MORE ABOUT THE VALUES AND FUNCTIONS OF WETLANDS, SHOULD THEY BE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO OWN THEM.

WE SHAPED AMERICAN WETLANDS MONTH AFTER AMERICAN RIVERS MONTH—CELEBRATED IN JUNE SINCE THE EARLY OR MID-80’S. I HAD BEEN PART OF A GROUP THAT WORKED WITH THE COMMONWEALTH OF MA, SENATOR TSONGAS’S OFFICE, THE NEW ENGLAND RIVER CENTER—AND MY OFFICE THEN, THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, TO CREATE THAT ANNUAL NATIONWIDE CELEBRATION. AT THAT TIME WE WERE FACED WITH A VARIETY OF DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, INCLUDING DAMS AND HYDRO PROJECTS THAT WERE THREATENING OUR REALTIVELY UNDEVELOPED, FREE-FLOWING RIVERS.

WORKING WITH THE TERRENE INSTITUTE, THE WETLANDS HOTLINE, AND OTHERS, WE DESIGNED INFORMATION ON AMERICAN WETLANDS MONTH. NOT SURPRISINGLY, WE GOT AN EXCELLENT RESPONSE TO THIS FEDERAL LEADERSHIP AND JOHN’S IDEA WAS SOON AN ANNUAL EVENT.

MY PURPOSE IN VISITING YOU TODAY IS TO PARTICIPATE IN YOUR ANNUAL CELEBRATION AND SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT NPS IS DOING TO PROTECT AND RESTORE LIVING RESOURCES.