The Izaak Walton League of America invited Fish and Wildlife Bioloigst Elizabeth McCloskey, Northern Indiana Ecological Services Suboffice, to speak at their Wetland Conservation and Policy Solutions in Northwest Indiana Workshop, in November. The workshop was held at the Michigan City Chapter 7 grounds. 

McCloskey gave a Powerpoint presentation on the Service's report Status and Trends of Wetlands in the Conterminous United States 1998 to 2004.  She also discussed the previous reports that, as a group, provide information on American wetlands for the past 50 years. 

About 30 people attended the workshop, which was co-sponsored by the Save the Dunes Conservation Fund, a local conservation organization.  Numerous examples (aerial photographs) of both wetland destruction and restoration in Indiana provided a local look at the issue. 

Ponds being counted as "wetlands" led to much of the discussion, with McCloskey explaining that, under the Service's Cowardin et al wetland classification system, they always have been counted, but here are many more of them now than previously.  The Branch of Habitat Assessment provided copies of the report for distribution.