Why Develop a State Wetland Conservation Plan?
A State Wetland Conservation Plan or Strategy (SWCP) gives a state a framework to protect, restore, and create wetlands. An SWCP is not meant to create a new level of bureaucracy. Instead, it improves government and private sector effectiveness and efficiency by identifying gaps in wetlands protection programs and finding opportunities to make programs work better. Through SWCP development, States can achieve their wetland management goals, such as no net loss of wetlands, by integrating both regulatory and cooperative approaches to wetland protection. Although each State is unique and requires a specifically tailored strategy, an SWCP should generally include these components: 1. Statement of need, goals, and objectives 2. Inventory and assessment of wetlands resources 3. Evaluation of existing and needed protection mechanisms 4. Strategy development and implementation plans 5. Plan approval 6. Monitoring progress.
