This is what is wrong with our tax code - if 80% of wetlands are held in private ownership, then pay fair taxes on it, otherwise accept the community/environmental value of wetlands and move all wetlands, like lake and riverbeds, into Public Trust.
International Migratory Bird Day is about to celebrate its 20th anniversary. Created in 1993, the event is now hosted at over 500 sites throughout the Western Hemisphere, reaching hundreds of thousands of youths and adults. Amazingly, nearly 10% of this year's celebrations will be held right here in Wisconsin, launched by the rapidly expanding Bird City Wisconsin program.
Wetlands will be a major focus of many of these events since they are critically important for songbirds, shorebirds, waterfowl and wading birds. Over 75% of Wisconsin's wildlife species use wetlands during a portion of their life cycle.
For most wetland-dependent birds, habitat loss in breeding areas translates directly into population losses. That's why so many conservation advocates and bird lovers in general bemoaned Gov. Scott Walker's decision to sign into law a bill that weakens wetland protection in Wisconsin. Since passage of this legislation, citizens have been calling the Wisconsin Wetlands Association concerned about the effects this law will have on the wetlands in their communities.
It is clear that simply relying on governmental regulation to protect our wetlands is not enough. Citizens need to get involved - to become active in their communities and watersheds to ensure that wetland protection is realized.
Bird Day is a great opportunity to reflect on why we should care about wetlands. Let's look at the facts.
Wetlands are important components of every Wisconsin landscape, whether urban or rural. They provide flood protection, water quality enhancement, groundwater recharge, fish and wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities.
A new study, conducted for WWA, found that Wisconsin's wetlands are worth between $3.2 billion to $152 billion in benefits every year. The Rapid Assessment of the Economic Value of Wisconsin's Wetlands is the first broad valuation of ecosystem services provided by Wisconsin's wetlands and one of only a few on this scale in the United States.
Since European settlement, however, nearly half of Wisconsin's wetlands have been lost to development - nearly 5 million acres. A portion of those that remain are protected by federal, state, tribal or local governments.
One of these, the Kakagon and Bad River Sloughs complex, recently was designated a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. This is the first tribally owned "Ramsar site" in the U.S. and the third Ramsar wetland in Wisconsin.
Yet nearly 80% of state wetlands remain in private ownership. This humbling statistic emphasizes the need for all of us to do our part.
How can you get involved in protecting wetlands? First, explore and learn about the wetland resources in your community. Go hiking, hunting, bird watching, canoeing and take advantage of field trip opportunities offered by many organizations, including WWA and the Friends of the Cedarburg Bog, to name just two. Remember, to truly care for a resource, we must live closely with it.
Second, join in with others who care for wetlands. When citizens take an interest in wetlands, good things happen. In Wisconsin, there are countless examples of private individuals working together to protect, restore and care for wetlands. Just a few examples: the "Wild Ones: Native Plants, Native Landscapes" conferences held annually in Milwaukee since 1977, the Swamplovers Foundation in Cross Plains, the Lake Koshkonong Wetlands Association near Fort Atkinson and numerous friends groups established to support protected areas.
Both WWA and Bird City Wisconsin
stress the economic incentive for communities to practice conservation. The EPA estimates that more than half of all U.S. adults hunt, fish, bird watch or photograph wildlife, spending a total of $59.5 billion annually, and that the value derived from observing and photographing wetland birds alone is at least $10 billion.
Get to know the business community and your neighboring landowners. Attend county, city and town planning and land use meetings. Get involved in nonprofit groups working for wetlands. WWA and Bird City are committed to working with citizens, communities and governments to promote the protection, restoration and enjoyment of wetlands. Meaningful wetland protection must come from the people who live with these resources day to day.
That's one reason Bird City has made partnering with other organizations to recognize IMBD a key part of its effort to mobilize a coalition of citizens and public officials to build healthier communities for birds and people. With funding from TogetherGreen, the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin and the Milwaukee Audubon Society, Bird City's program aims to ensure that urban residents maintain healthy populations of birds and grow an appreciation for them. It offers public recognition to communities that work to conserve birds while celebrating IMBD.
Carl Schwartz is state coordinator for Bird City Wisconsin; Tracy Hames is executive director of the Wisconsin Wetlands Association.
