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;" y~ `i ~~~ ~`~' Volume 8 ,~ Issue 1 =~ ~, _~ ~~~ ~ l :~ ~ A~~ t ~~~, ; t~ ~ January 199 ~ ~_, ~ '`? ,~ ~~ ~,, ,~, ;j Editor: 8~ard o~ Water and Soii ~~ ~. `~~'~ ~ F~~ resources =~ ~~'~'~__~~ X12-29~-3767 ~ ~~;-- - ~ This issue of the Water BillBoard is a pre- view of what types of legislation the environ- mental agencies are pursuing during the current legislative session, which began Jan 16. Wetland Conservation Act Once again this year, the Board of Water and Soil Resources {BWSR) has developed a bill amending the Wetland Conservation Act {V1/CA). If approved, the amendments would make many of the changes that local govern- ments have indicated they need. Local ~lexibiii~y The BWSR-supported bill increases flexibility for local governments by allowing them to write local wetland management plans under` the Local Water Planning Program. These plans would allow the local units a great deal more flexibility, including the ability to: •vary the applica#ion of sequencing standards •vary wetland replacement standards, including replacing wetlands at less than a 1:1 ratio in counties with more than 80 percent of their presettlement wetlands remaining if there is no net loss of public values and biological diversity within the area; •allow additional replacement credit for any project that increases the public value of wetlands; and •extend current exemptions that apply to types 1, 2, and 6 on agricultural land to include those types of wet- lands on non-agricultural land. The changes would require state agencies to participate in the planning process if they wish to comment on the plans. Plans not acceptable to the BWSR would need to be accompanied by a statement of deficiency; any plan disapprovals would be followed by a hearing {to take place within the boundaries of the local government) or alternative dis- pute resolution.