Wetland Policy and Guidance
Wetlands are widely recognized for their great ecological and socio-economic importance and the many benefits they provide protecting and maintaining the health of our coastal and marine environment. Despite increasing efforts to protect wetlands, degradation and loss continue to threaten wetland ecosystems. The U.S. government has developed policies and regulations to protect wetland resources. Although many States have their own wetland regulations, the federal government has a major responsibility to regulate wetlands. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS-USDA) are the five main Federal agencies sharing responsibility for protecting wetlands. Each of these agencies has a different mission, which is reflected in the implementation of the agency’s authority for wetland protection. The wetland authority of NOAA lies mainly in its charge to manage the Nation’s coastal and marine resources.
