What is the difference between conservation land and wetlands?
Many people use the terms “conservation land” and “wetlands” interchangeably, but they actually have different meanings. Conservation land refers to land that is publicly owned, and generally preserved as open space to protect our natural resources. In some cases conservation land may be used for passive recreation, or it may be kept natural to protect wildlife habitat, wetlands, riverfront areas and/or land subject to flooding. Conservation land may or may not contain wetlands. A wetland is an area that may be publicly or privately owned. It is an area where water (groundwater, surface water, or ice) is present in significant enough quantity to support a dominance of vegetation that occurs in primarily saturated conditions. Commonly thought of as wet meadows, marshes, swamps, and bogs, wetlands are transitional areas between water bodies and uplands, and are defined by their plant communities, hydrology, and soils.
