Wetlands & Wild Lands
Wetlands and wild lands are important to the environmental quality of the country. They provide plant and wildlife habitat, flood control, sediment control, groundwater recharge, clean drinking water, recreational opportunities, educational opportunities, and aesthetics.
Pollution, development, and urban sprawl threaten wetlands and wild lands. Wetlands also are threatened by groundwater withdrawal and partial drainage. Logging, mining, and overgrazing are threats to wild lands. The federal government preserves and restores wetlands and wild lands through laws, regulations, and programs. It also allows for varying amounts and kinds of use of these lands. State governments have their own programs for managing and preserving wetlands and wild lands.
Wetlands are areas that are inundated or saturated with water, and that are characterized by particular plant species and soils. Wetlands include swamps, bogs, marshes, fens, bottomland forests, wet meadows, wet prairies, prairie potholes, and alpine meadows. Many wetlands are seasonal-they are dry part of the year-and some are wet only periodically.
The federal government protects wetlands through regulations; economic incentives and disincentives, such as the wetland reserve and wetland conservation programs; and acquisition, for example, by establishing national wildlife areas. Some states, particularly those with coastal wetlands, have laws to regulate activities in wetlands. And some local governments also have adopted wetland protection ordinances or have changed the way development is permitted. In addition, partnerships between governments, nonprofit organizations, and private landowners have developed to manage entire watersheds. A watershed approach recognizes the interconnectedness of water, land, and wetlands and can address more of the factors causing watershed degradation. Because approximately seventy-five percent of wetlands are privately owned, actions by individual landowners are important in preserving wetlands.
Section 404 of the Clean Water Act requires that before anyone deposits dredged or fill materials into wetlands must receive a permit. The EPA develops the environmental criteria used to evaluate permit applications, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers administers the permitting process. If affecting a wetland is unavoidable, another wetland must be restored or created to take its place.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) administers programs to discourage loss of wetlands and encourage restoration of wetlands on agricultural land. Under the Wetland Reserve Program (WRP), the USDA purchases permanent or temporary conservation easements from farmers, and pays all or part of the costs to restore wetlands on the property. The program also provides for cost-share agreements, under which the USDA pays most of the wetland restoration costs but does not place an easement on the property. Another program, known as "Swampbuster," penalizes farmers if they convert wetlands to agricultural use, unless they enhance existing wetlands, restore former wetlands, or create new wetlands. A farmer who does not comply with Swampbuster may lose federal farm benefits.
One of the first milestones of the movement to protect wild lands in the United States was the designation of Yellowstone as the first national park, in 1872. In 1891, the first forestlands were protected, and in 1905, the Forest Service was created and large tracts of forest were added to the system. The first wildlife refuge was established in 1903.
The Wilderness Act of 1964 (also known as the National Wilderness Preservation System) gives Congress the power to set aside and preserve federal lands as wilderness areas for public enjoyment. To be designated as a wilderness, an area must have been affected primarily by nature, not humans; must have outstanding opportunities for solitude or primitive recreation; and must be at least 5,000 acres in size or large enough to make its preservation and use possible. Some activities are prohibited in wilderness areas, including logging and other commercial operations. In addition, most motorized vehicles, permanent structures, and roads are not allowed in wilderness areas.
Checklist: For Buyers Evaluating a Home
To read and printout a copy of the Checklist please click below.
For Buyers Evaluating a Home
You can download a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader here.
Copyright © 1994-2006 FindLaw, a Thomson business
DISCLAIMER: This site and any information contained herein are intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. Seek competent legal counsel for advice on any legal matter.
View Previous Selections
