An overall policy goal for wetland protection first adopted by the Bush Administration, and more recently by the Clinton Administration. The goal is to halt the decline in the overall number of wetland acres in the country. It refers only to acres and does not compare the functions and values of wetlands gained and lost. Also, this goal does not address the question of whether it is acceptable to destroy some wetlands if at least the same number of acres are created or restored at another site. Currently there are about 100 million wetland acres, compared to about 200 million when the country was first settled.