| "It emphasizes the role EPA
envisions for states and tribes. It also reflects
the high priority that individual Office of Water
programs have put on developing and supporting comprehensive
state and tribal watershed approach strategies that
actively involve public and private interests at
all levels to achieve environmental protection."--
EPA
Watershed Approach Framework 1996 |
After more than 10 years of watershed-level planning
initiatives, spurred by the 1987 revisions of the Clean
Water Act, the EPA spelled out its own Watershed
Protection Approach Framework and adopted it in
1991.
Although the watershed approach is not a regulatory
mechanism, watershed management was further supported
through federal funding programs, guidance documents,
training modules, and offices. It is difficult to track
the funding of the various programs, simply because
almost all departments in the EPA have some stake and
involvement in watershed activities. For example, Wetlands,
Brownfields, and Community Right-to-Know initiatives
are all tied into watershed programs but are not listed
in any existing "watershed budget."
However, looking at water quality programs in the aggregate,
we can see a steady increase in funding over the past
few years.
|
|
1997
|
1998
|
1999 |
2000
|
2001
|
| Clean & Safe Water |
$274,160.3 |
$272,847 |
$500,000.0 |
$941,589.7 |
$980,822.0 |
(Source: EPA
Office of the Chief Financial Officer-- Budgets)
|
