January 10, 2001

Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt and Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman Tuesday jointly released two new reports that both indicate there has been a dramatic slowdown in the loss of wetlands over the past decade.

The new report by the Department of the Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service, Status and Trends of Wetlands in the Conterminous United States 1986 to 1997, shows the rate of wetland loss in the United States has declined to an estimated annual loss of 58,500 acres -- an 80% reduction compared to the previous decade. The national goal of no net wetlands losses still has not been met, however. The study shows that between 1986 and 1997, forested wetlands and freshwater emergent wetlands continued to show the most losses. Open water ponds have been increasing, yet there is concern that the long-term trend in the loss of vegetated wetlands may result in long-term adverse consequences.

USDA's National Resources Inventory, a report on the health of America's private lands, also shows significant reduction in wetland losses. Prepared by the department's Natural Resources Conservation Service, the report found an average annual net loss from all sources of 32,600 acres of wetlands from 1992 to 1997.

The western half of the United States is nearing no net loss while the eastern part saw the largest wetlands loss.

USDA's National Resources Inventory differs from Interior's Wetlands Status and Trends Report in its legislative mandate and purpose, as well as time frame, scope, focus, and methodologies. The NRI provides information on the status and trends of soil, water, and related resources on privately owned lands on a national, regional, and state basis. The Wetlands Status and Trends Report examined wetlands losses and gains on all lands on a national basis.

The findings of the two reports reflect more than a decade of work in wetland conservation. Since 1993, federal agencies have adopted policies accentuating fair, flexible approaches to wetlands conservation and stewardship, placing strong emphasis on educating the public about wetland values, benefits, and the sustainable use of wetland resources. The data in the new reports indicate that policies and programs in the 1990s have helped slowdown wetland resource losses while increasing wetland restoration, creation, and enhancement.

The DOI Status and Trends report is available on the Web at http://wetlands.fws.gov/bha/SandT/SandTReport.html. The USDA National Resources Inventory is available at http://www.nhq.nrcs.usda.gov/NRI.