Wetlands is not a ducks vs. farmers issue

Excerpt

FOR many years, drainage of wetlands was widely considered a public benefit, and landowners were rewarded for converting “waste” swamps to “productive” fields. Today, most of us recognize the diverse values wetlands provide, yet widespread loss of wetlands continues. Laws to protect wetlands have been only nominally effective in large part because of organized resistance from some powerful farm groups, developers, and oil and gas interests.

Conflict between farmers and environmentalists has been a common theme of the wetlands debate. Wetlands protection opponents have regaled Congress and the media with horror stories of farm families threatened with bankruptcy and violated private property rights. For their part, some environmental groups have correspondingly portrayed all farmers as anti-wetland. The focus on the extreme views has often reduced the debate to shouting and fingerpointing, obscuring the many ecologic and economic subtleties that require consideration.

Contrary to the popular rhetoric, this is not a ducks-versus-farmers issue. Many farmers understand the values of wetlands and resent being labeled as enemies of nature. They include a large group of farmers who have personally maintained or restored wetlands on their own property, many of whom belong to environmental and/or …