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Importance of Wetlands

Importance of Wetlands. & Their Preservation. What is a wetland ?. Marsh : soft-stemmed vegetation Swamp : woody plants Bog : freshwater, spongy peat, evergreens, mossy floor Fen : freshwater, peat-forming, covered in grass, reeds, and wildflowers www.nwi.fws.gov. Wetlands :.

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Importance of Wetlands

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  1. Importance of Wetlands & Their Preservation

  2. What is a wetland? • Marsh: soft-stemmed vegetation • Swamp: woody plants • Bog: freshwater, spongy peat, evergreens, mossy floor • Fen: freshwater, peat-forming, covered in grass, reeds, and wildflowers www.nwi.fws.gov

  3. Wetlands: • The link between the land and water • An ecosystem characterized by: -hydrology -soils -vegetation • “Nurseries of life”

  4. Prevent/reduce flooding Improve water quality Fishing Maintain biodiversity and aesthetics Reduce soil erosion Serve as ground water recharge areas Make wonderful outdoor classrooms! What Wetlands do for you:

  5. Despite all of these benefits, 60,000 acres of Wetlands are lost each year, in the US alone • The Clean Water Act of 1972: • Goal: To restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waters • Support: “the protection and propagation of fish, shellfish, and wildlife and recreation in and on the water” • The Act does not deal with ground water or water quantity issues • It employs ways to sharply reduce pollutant discharge, finance wastewater treatment, and manage runoff

  6. Reversing the impact of degradation “The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased, and not impaired, in value. -Theodore Roosevelt • Wetland Mitigation: -improvement upon wetlands that is made as exchange for damage done to wetlands elsewhere • Restoration: -returning one of the wetland characteristics to a drained wetland site • Creation: -impounding water to excavated, depressed areas that did not previously contain wetland soils or vegetation

  7. Mitigation • 1980’s President Bush> “no net loss” • Each developer must first obtain a permit before beginning construction • “no net loss” policy fails • Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) • Army corps of Engineers>enforce • Fish and Wildlife Service>consultants

  8. REstoration • Provides landowners an opportunity to benefit wildlife, themselves, and community -USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) & Wetlands Reserve Program • Takes place where hydric soils remain • From 1982-1992 768,700acres of wetlands gained

  9. CREATION • All 3 characteristics are missing • Difficult, costly, and often unsuccessful • A Success Story: -NHC/DEM Landfill, treating leachate -awarded CAMA grant from NC division of Coastal Management -lowers costs, and reduces 60,000gal of discharge from entering Cape Fear

  10. You may ask yourself…”How can I help?” • EPA’s wetland helpline: 1-800-832-7828 • EPA’s wetland homepage: www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands • USDA’s Wetlands Reserve Program: www.wl.fb-net.org May is American Wetlands Month!

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