Water is obviously critical for life. We can't live without it.

Protecting our waters is absolutely critical to communities and ecosystems at home and all around the Nation.

The most effective way to address these issues is through implementing effective and pragmatic environmental policies under the Clean Water Act that balance environmental, economic, and social outcomes.

It is critical that neither the Federal Government nor a State takes too heavy-handed an approach.

Neither the federal government nor a state should become overbearing and upset that balance.

I am also a licensed professional engineer. I spent over two decades doing engineering work.

I would like to take some time and apologize to all those farmers, those construction workers, everybody that is out there in this country trying to do the right thing...

They don't want to sidestep the rules or avoid the rules. They want to know what the rules are so that they can meet the regulations...

I applaud the administration for trying to put some sanity into these regulations so that people know how to deal with them.

What is most important to these compliance efforts is a permitting process that is consistent, predictable, timely, and focused on protecting true aquatic resources.

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) appreciates the opportunity to submit this statement for the record.