Conserve Wetlands

The Environmental Law Institute’s Wetlands Program provides professionals and the public with timely, balanced information on wetlands law, policy, science, and management in order to prevent wetlands loss and result in a net gain of wetlands across the United States. The Wetlands Program has three major areas of focus: Education and Outreach to promote the best in wetlands protection, Convening Experts and Stakeholders, and Research and Policy Analysis on cutting edge issues.

• Education and outreach activities include the respected National Wetlands Newsletter, providing key information and analysis to people engaged in protection and management of wetlands, watersheds, floodplains, and coastal resources. The National Wetlands Awards honor people who have contributed in an extraordinary way, through science, education, land stewardship, land development, or program development, to the conservation of the nation’s wetlands resource. ELI also hosts ELI-Wetlands, the free electronic forum on wetlands, floodplains, and coastal resources.
• ELI conducts wetlands training, seminars, and workshops, such as Stakeholder Forums and courses for those engaged in wetlands protection, mitigation, regulation, and policymaking.
• ELI’s research and policy analysis continues to examine developments in state wetlands laws and programs; alternative forms of wetland avoidance and mitigation, including mitigation banking, in-lieu fee mitigation, and other techniques; and opportunities to achieve wetland conservation through collaboration with programs for land conservation, wildlife, and local ordinances.