Max Baucus: “we all want to protect wetlands, and we know when highways are constructed that wetlands are often in jeopardy. It is in…”

“we all want to protect wetlands, and we know when highways are constructed that wetlands are often in jeopardy. It is in the law that when a highway is constructed which does jeopardize a wetland, an offset must be provided for; that is, the developer or the contractor has to find some other way to enhance or improve the wetland. This is another step in that direction. It is a step toward greater efficiency, namely, where someone may enhance, develop a wetland, get credit for it, and the contractor comes along and goes to the bank which already has the credit for the wetland. It is a much more efficient process for getting the job done. I compliment the Senator from Missouri for coming up with this idea. We accept the amendment.”