On Earth Day 2004, the USDA released figures showing that, for the first time in modern history, America has reversed the annual net loss of wetlands. The United States was losing almost 500,000 acres of wetlands per year 30 years ago. According to the USDA, that loss is down dramatically and overall, we are nearing the Bush Administration's national goal of "no net loss" of wetlands.
Also on Earth Day, the White House released details of President Bush's new national goal -- moving beyond a policy of "no net loss" of wetlands to have an overall increase of wetlands in America each year.
Highlights of President Bush's wetlands conservation strategy include:
Restore, Improve, and Protect:Through a combined effort, the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture and Transportation, EPA, Army Corps of Engineers, and NOAA will, over the next five years:
The benefits of these outcomes are to be enhanced by further efforts to improve associated uplands and river habitat so that, for example, ducks not only will have the wetland they need for food, but good dry land habitat nearby for nesting.
Better Tracking of Wetland Programs:
Moving to an Increase in Wetland Acres and Quality from No Net Loss policy: Wetlands benefit fish and wildlife, reduce flooding, improve water quality, and provide fishing, bird-watching, hunting, and educational opportunities to millions of Americans. The lower 48 states currently contain 110 million acres of wetlands.
The President's goal is to create, improve, and protect at least three million wetland acres over the next five years in order to increase overall wetland acres and quality. To meet this goal, the President called on Congress to pass his FY 2005 budget request, which includes $4.4 billion for conservation programs that include funding for wetlands -- an increase of $1.5 billion (53%) over FY 2001. The FY 2005 budget proposes to spend $349 million on our two key wetlands programs -- the Wetlands Reserve Program and the North American Wetlands Conservation Act Grants Program -- which is an increase of more than 50% over FY 2001 for those two programs.
[Source: The White House]
