In 2003, the Bush administration announced an "advanced notice of proposed rulemaking" in which it solicited public input on how to narrow the scope of the Clean Water Act by identifying which of the nation's waters they will no longer protect under the Act. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency received more than 137,000 public comments, the vast majority of which opposed the proposal, with resource agencies in 35 states (including 14 with Republican governors) opposing the administration's plan.