"No net loss" is the United States government's overall policy goal regarding wetlands preservation. The goal of the policy is to balance wetland loss due to economic development with wetlands reclamation, mitigation, and restorations efforts, so that the total acreage of wetlands in the country does not decrease, but remains constant or increases.[1] [2]
To achieve the objective of no net loss, the federal government utilizes several different environmental mitigation tools which legally protect wetlands, provide rules and regulations for citizens and corporations interacting with wetlands, and incentives for the preservation and conservation of wetlands. For example, compensatory mitigation, including wetland mitigation banking.
Given the public benefits provided by wetland ecosystem services, such as flood control, nutrient farming, habitat, water filtration, and recreational area,[3] the estimations that over half the acreage of wetlands in the United States has been lost within the last three centuries is of great concern to local, state, and federal agencies as well as the public interest they serve.
Since the 18th century, wetland area has decreased from nearly 220e6acre in the lower 48 states to 107.7e6acre in 2004.[4] Since the 1950s, over fifty percent of this loss has come from wetlands being transitioned to agricultural lands.[5] Other contributing factors to wetlands loss include but are not limited to development and forestry.
No net loss as a goal for wetland's policy was recommended in 1987 at the National Wetlands Policy Forum [6] and was first adopted by President George H.W. Bush administration in 1989. The policy, which represented compromise between development and conservation, was grounded on the needs to protect the wetlands by creating and restoring the wetlands. The United States is not the only nation interested in the conservation of wetlands: international cooperation exists in the form of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
No net loss is a mitigation policy goal aiming to prevent and offset the destruction or degradation of wetlands. Under this bi-partisan policy, wetlands currently in existence are to be conserved if possible. No net loss is achieved through a coordinated effort of:[7]
"No net loss" of wetlands was first adopted as a national goal under Jimmy Carter's administration in 1977 under the Executive Order 11990. George H. W. Bush’s administration in 1989, after he campaigned on the policy, emphasized three elements on its policy: strengthening the wetland conservation and acquisition measures, revising the delineation manual, improving and streamlining the wetlands regulatory program.[8] All of these measures are aimed at maintaining wetlands quantity and quality of national wetland resources.
During his presidency, Bill Clinton's administration reiterated the same pledge by endorsing and updating the no net loss policy. The Clinton Administration’s commitment was to increase the fairness and flexibility, as well as speed of permit issuances over dredged or fill materials into waters as a part of the implementation of the Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. It also aimed to resolve the differences in the delineation of wetlands area. Finally, the administration committed to increasing funding for wetland restoration measures, such as Wetland Reserve Program under the USDA, voluntary wetlands restoration programs, non-regulatory conservation initiatives, and mitigation banks.[9] The Clinton administration's 1998 Clean Water Action Plan aimed for a net gain of 100000acres of wetlands each year.[10]
The administration of George W. Bush endorsed the no net loss goal in December 2002, when it released the National Wetlands Mitigation Action Plan. This plan outlined improvements to be implement in wetland protection and mitigation by the Army Corps of Engineers, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Agriculture, and the Federal Highway Administration.[11] Additional action by the Bush administration includes a push to clarify and redefine wetlands under the Clean Water Act. This proposal, published on January 10, 2003 guided federal agencies to not require Clean Water Act permits for non-navigable and isolated wetlands.
Following the lead of the previous three presidential administrations, Barack Obama also pledged his commitment to no net loss. The Obama administration increased funding of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act to ensure no net loss operation, however funding has been cut in the current budget.[12] Obama campaigned to amend the Clean Water Act and to extend the Swampbuster program, however these commitments have yet to be followed-through with. Barack Obama’s administration additionally is working with Congress to amend the Clean Water Act so that isolated wetlands will fall under the Act’s protection.[13]
In an effort to meet the United States' policy objectives under the International Ramsar Convention and the national goal of no net loss of wetlands, a variety of policy instruments are utilized within and between the federal, state and local spheres as well as the private sector. Due to the fact that 70% of wetlands[14] are located on private lands, cooperation between government agencies and landholders is a critical component of most policy implementation approaches.
Under the Commerce Clause in the United States Constitution, the federal government derives authority to regulate pollution of United States waters if interstate commerce is affected. The Clean Water Act (CWA), in particular §404, regulates discharge into "waters of the United States". Permitting is required under the CWA §404 for activities that dredge or fill in this jurisdiction, which can include wetlands.[15] Under this permitting program, environmental impacts are to be avoided if possible, reduced and mitigated if necessary.[16] Permits are limited to a maximum period of five years and use public notice and comment procedures. While the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issues the permit, responsibility for enforcement is shared between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the EPA.[17] [18] However, the scope of what constitutes a wetland and thus what falls under CWA command and control regulation has changed over time. Two recent Supreme Court decisions have impacted the definition of wetlands under the Clean Water Act:
| Program | Agency | Year Implemented | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FSA | Farm Bill[22] | Conservation Easement | ||
| Wetlands Reserve Program | NRCS | 1990 Farm Bill | Conservation Easement | |
| Swampbuster Provision | USDA | 1985 Food Security Act[23] | Converting wetlands to croplands results in a loss of federal funds | |
| Migratory Bird Rule | Army Corps of Engineers & EPA | 1996 | Overturned by U.S. Supreme Court in 2001[24] [25] | |
| Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act | USFWS & State Wildlife Agencies | 1934 | Fee on consumptive use of waterfowl to fund conservation efforts (such as SWAP[26]) | |
| 1972 | Command and Control Regulations on discharge of pollutants into waterways | |||
| Water Bank Act [27] | 1970 | Allows trading of wetlands mitigation property rights | ||
| 217 of Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments (CZARA[28]) | 1990 | Voluntary Program | ||
| EPA Grants[29] | Various | Provides direct funding for projects through a competitive grant process |
Additional federal policy instruments include private-public sector collaborations such as educational efforts, conservation easement programs, land banking,[30] and numerous voluntary programs.
States government tools for addressing wetland protection, include but not limited to:
Local Wetland Protection[33] Local governments tools for addressing wetland protection, include but are not limited to: