National Audubon Society volunteers and staff and other advocates have saved thousands of wetlands. Listed below are some of the key strategies that led to their success. Materials available from the Wetlands Campaign elaborate on many of these strategies:
Acquisition
Acquiring legal title to property by purchase, donation, easements, or other method.
Advocacy
Writing comment letters, telephoning, building coalitions to influence state, local, or federal laws, regulations, and policies. Volunteering on citizens committees, getting elected to positions where you can be a wetlands advocate.
Education
Helping people understand the value of wetlands and why they are worth protecting.
Land Use Activity
Influencing local or state planning efforts such as comprehensive plans, watershed planning, and local ordinances for wetlands protection.
Legal Action
Filing Clean Water Act citizen suits or administrative or judicial challenges to local, state, or federal decisions.
Networking
Creating alliances, sharing information and data, working together on project proposals and advocacy positions, and mentoring. We are stronger and more effective working together.
Permit Review
Reviewing and commenting in writing or orally on local, state, or federal permits that affect the wetlands in your community.
Restoration
Restoring wetland functions to a former wetland through planting or hydrological modifications to the system such as removing dikes or barriers. "Enhancement" refers to activities conducted in existing wetlands to increase function(s).
Science
Mapping wetlands, conducting inventories of birds and other wetland-dependent species, monitoring water levels, and other projects to gather data that can be used to protect wetlands. Strategies include citizen science, professional studies, and science reviewers to analyze the data and studies that government agencies produce for permits and policy decisions.
Stewardship
Creating Wetlands Watch programs and other projects to help protect wetlands on an ongoing basis.
Visibility
Holding press conferences, wetland tours, and other public events to deliver a clear and consistent message about wetlands protection and your particular wetland. This can also include testifying at local town meetings and other forums where you can give wetlands a voice.
September 13, 2000�- National Audubon Society 1901 Pennsylvania Avenue NW #1100 Washington, DC 20006 202-861-2242
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