Report Offers Wetland Model Approaches
The Environmental Law Institute (ELI) announced the publication of State Wetland Protection: Status, Trends and Model Approaches, which examines state-level efforts to protect wetland resources.
Research for the report is based on a 50-state study conducted by the institute with support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The report examines seven core elements of all 50 states' wetland programs (regulatory programs, water quality standards, monitoring and assessment, restoration, public-private partnerships, coordination, and education and outreach) and outlines model approaches.
"This report provides the states and tribes with valuable information on the structure and composition of state wetland programs around the country," says ELI Wetland Program Director Jessica Wilkinson. "It was designed to give these wetland professionals the ability to analyze their programs and identify areas for improvement and strategies to address gaps in wetland protection and management."
The report concludes by highlighting model approaches that may provide states with guidance on strengthening the core elements of their programs and providing more comprehensive and robust protection of state wetland resources. The model approaches include:
• Filling gaps in federal protection
• Developing wetland-specific water quality standards,
• Strengthening non-regulatory program elements and
• Improving wetland monitoring and assessment programs.
An electronic version of the report is available at http://www.elistore.org/reports_detail.asp?ID=11279.