Wetlands Loss

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NaepcA1
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Wetlands Loss

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FWS: NEW REPORT DOCUMENTS CONTINUED COASTAL WETLAND LOSS

On Nov. 21, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration released a report concluding the
United States is now losing over 80,000 acres of coastal wetlands per
year, up from 60,000 in a prior study.

Coastal areas around the Gulf of Mexico accounted for 71 percent of
the wetland loss. The study attributed wetland loss predominantly to
losses of saltwater wetlands in the Gulf due to coastal storms in
combination with freshwater forested wetland loss due to urban
renewal development. The report concludes that rising ocean levels
are also affecting coastal wetland loss.

According to the report, coastal wetlands provide a home to 75
percent of the nation's waterfowl and other migratory birds. Also,
over half of all fish caught for commercial and recreational purposes
depend on coastal wetlands at some point in their lives.

The data used in this report will be used in the development of
policies and initiatives to promote environmental stewardship of
coastal resources such as the National Ocean Policy.

View the full report here:
http://www.fws.gov/wetlands/Documents/S ... o-2009.pdf

~~~~><))))º> ...:::... <((((=< ~~•.¸¸.•´¯`•.</º))))><
Gary S. Morishima
morikog@aol.com
(O): 206.236.1406; (C): 206.963.5651

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