Bringing Back Our Wetlands (Conservation Success Stories)

Wetlands were historically viewed as wastelands, areas to be avoided, drained for development or agriculture, or used as dumping grounds. Pollution and fragmentation have also impacted wetlands. As a result, by 1990 more than half of the wetlands in the lower 48 states had been destroyed; worldwide wetland losses are estimated at 60%. Yet as people began to understand the enormous value of wetlands, conservation efforts were launched. Across the country conservation projects are underway in national parks, in agricultural areas, along shorelines, and more. This book celebrates the protection, restoration, and construction efforts of those people and groups, and looks toward a future of conservation in an effort to preserve wetlands’ critical role in the environment.