Federal Regulation of the Nation's Wetlands an Analysis of Government Policy,
Abstract
Federal regulation of the nation's wetlands is typified by complex, conflicting national interests. The author analyzes how present policy was arrived at, using Allison's models of government actions. Existing organizational processes explain why responsibility for Section 404 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972 was assigned to the Army Corps of Engineers. The primary issues since 1975 have been whether federal regulation of wetlands is overregulation, and what the intent of the Congress is. Allison's Bureaucratic Politics model helps explain Congress' recent trend to roll back the extent of federal wetlands regulatory authority. Extrapolating present policy shows that the government is unlikely either to retain full federal regulatory authority indefinitely, or to delegate Section 404 responsibility to all the states soon. A feasible outcome, of the consistent with Allison's models, could be a policy of delegating wetlands regulatory authority on a state-by-state basis, subject to federal guidelines.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1977
- Accession Number
- ADA043538
Entities
People
- Robert K. Tener
Organizations
- Naval War College