Research Reports

The U.S. population will grow by over 92 million in the next 35 years. If sprawl development patterns continue to prevail, what are the likely consequences for America, its communities, and its resources? This publication draws on examples from across the country to identify detrimental effects from sprawl development patterns, and to suggest why it is time to pursue changes in law and policy to eliminate the adverse consequences of our current development approach.

The conservation of biodiversity supports efforts to ensure the long-term stability of wildlife species and habitats, ecosystems and economies, and public health and welfare. Because the greatest threats to wildlife and biodiversity in the United States are habitat destruction, degradation, and fragmentation, purchasing land outright or protecting it through the acquisition of a conservation easement ensures the protection of lands important for habitat.

Introduced to the Senate on February 10, 2005, Senate Bill 363 (S. 363, the Ballast Water Management Act) proposes to amend the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 to establish a national approach for managing invasive species in ballast water. The proposed legislation also includes a declaration that federal ballast water exchange and ballast water treatment standards, implemented by the U.S. Coast Guard, supersede state and local laws deemed inconsistent with federal provisions.

ELI is currently conducting a multi-phased study designed to describe and analyze seven "core" components of state wetland programs: state laws, regulations, and programs; monitoring and assessment; restoration programs and activities; water quality standards; public-private partnerships; coordination among state and federal agencies; and education and outreach activities.  Each phase of the study examines a cross-section of states representing various approaches to wetland protection and regulation, as well as geographic diversity.

The Status and Character of In-Lieu Fee Mitigation in the United States provides a comprehensive profile of the nation's active aquatic resource in-lieu fee mitigation programs. The report is the first to examine, in-depth, the status and administration of in-lieu fee mitigation in the nation, including detailed discussion of federal in-lieu fee policy and extensive analysis of how in-lieu programs implement such policies. The study was made possible by a generous grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.