Wetland conservation is a national and international legal imperative. Wetlands provide a variety of “functions” in the natural environment and a number of “values” for human beings. Beyond their intrinsic value, wetlands serve as habitat for fish and wildlife, help to recharge groundwater and enhance water quality, and aid in the control of flooding and erosion. Wetlands also provide educational and recreational opportunities for human beings, including hunting, fishing, and boating. The prairie potholes of North Dakota, one of the prime examples of isolated, intrastate wetlands, provide between fifty and seventy-five percent of the waterfowl in America, thus contributing substantially
to the hunting industry. The destruction of such wetlands has led to a corresponding decline in migrant duck populations.
Historically, wetlands have been undervalued, leading to estimated losses over the last 200 years of approximately fiftythree percent of the wetland areas across the United States. While the rate of loss slowed somewhat in recent years, the United States continued to lose wetland areas at a rate of 58,500 acres per year between 1986 and 1997. This “areal” calculation does not include any reduction in “function and ecosystem integrity.” In response to these losses, various levels of government have implemented wetland protection programs and policies, including Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) and state wetland protection laws. Governments have also taken action to protect individual wetlands through outright purchase from landowners and have engaged in extensive public education programs. Various international efforts also aim to protect wetlands and reduce the rate of wetland losses worldwide, most notably the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar).