Excerpt
HOW we value and to what extent we preserve wetlands depends, in the long run, on how the following question is dealt with by the public, government, and the courts: Are wetlands a part of our nation's water resources or are they to be considered real estate? If the former, then wetlands are in the public domain and should receive the same valuation and legal protection as rivers, lakes, and estuaries. If wetlands are part of the land, then they become private property to be allocated by market forces unless purchased and protected as parks and refuges. In general, coastal wetlands are now considered part of estuaries and rivers and thus receive protection by federal and state governments. In contrast, most interior wetlands are considered land resources subject, for the most part, to unrestricted private development.
Government agencies concerned with wetlands protection are currently being pressured to draw the line between land and water at the low rather than the high water mark, which would, in effect, open most wetlands to development. If this becomes national policy, upheld by the courts, few interior wetlands will survive, except for those …
Footnotes
Eugene P. Odum is director of the Institute of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, 30601. This “Viewpoint” is based on a presentation at the annual meeting of the National Wildlife Federation.
- Copyright 1983 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society
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