"Since the 1950s, the United States has lost more than 26 million acres of coastal wetlands, bottomland hardwood forests and freshwater marshes—an amount equivalent to the surface area of Lakes Superior and Erie combined." Photo Credit to Dusan Smetana
A report issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior was recently analyzed by Ducks Unlimited scientists, who found that there is an overall decline with the rate of wetland loss accelerating in recent years.
The Status and Trends of Wetlands in the Conterminous United States 2004 to 2009 compares wetland losses and gains with a previous study that did the same thing for the years 1998 to 2004. In the older study there was a net gain of 32,000 wetland acres per year and the latest study shows a net loss of 13,800 acres per year.
These accelerated losses are particularly troubling in the light of the current federal budget discussions, as the budget discussions are centered on future funding for wetland conservation programs. The TRCP and Ducks Unlimited have worked together to conserve our wetlands resources.
Learn about the local and state level clubs and organizations that work with the TRCP to guarantee all Americans a place to hunt and fish. Learn More
