Evaluating the Status of Wetland Conservation Integration with Multitype State Action Plans in the 50 US States

Abstract

The protection of wetlands plays a critical role in ecosystem health and human welfare. This research paper explores the role of major types of state action plans, including climate action plans (CAPs), hazard mitigation plans (HMPs), nonpoint source pollution management plans (NPSPs), long range transportation plans (LRTPs), and state wildlife action plans (SWAPs), to evaluate how well wetland conservation efforts have been integrated in these state-level plans in the 50 US states. A plan evaluation protocol with 15 indicators was developed to evaluate the plan integration across the 196 state-level action plans. The findings suggest that, even though various wetland conservation initiatives operate within the realm of environmental protection, a considerable number of these plans dedicate limited direct focus to wetland preservation. While the primary emphasis of these plans may not be explicitly on wetland conservation, the results unveil the degree of integration between wetland conservation and other state-level planning endeavors. The indicators show that the SWAPs obtained the highest grade among the five types of plans due to the closest natural connections of wildlife with wetland habitat. The LRTPs received the lowest score among all the plans, as expected, due to low scope of covering environmental issues. HMPs, NPSPs, and CAPs have considered wetland conservation as a useful mitigation tool in hazard risk reduction, water quality improvement, and climate adaptations, but large variations still exist among the different states. Additionally, among the indicators, coordination and policy development received relatively lower scores, suggesting that state agencies should work more proactively and collaboratively to improve wetland conservation. Incorporating wetland protection and restoration efforts in the state-level planning mechanisms is an important step toward achieving the national goal of no net loss of wetlands and improving the quantity and quality of wetlands in the United States.