In my capacity as Director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Wetlands program, I oversee efforts to enhance state and tribal wetlands programs, including state and tribal assumption of the Clean Water Act (CWA) §404 program (§404 Assumption). As such, I feel it is my responsibility to clarify the requirements, oversight, and benefits of §404 Assumption in response to Lance Wood's Article in the March 2009 issue of the Environmental Law Reporter's News & Analysis. I will not comment on the Environmental Council of the States' legislative proposal recommending restoration of the CWA's jurisdictional scope and changes to the §404 Assumption regulations, as EPA and the Administration have not taken a position on it.