Water scarcity has certainly been at the forefront of environmental concerns for a number of years. Now, we’re seeing a gradual disappearance of marshes and wetlands that not only provide important wildlife habitat but also protection from dangerous flooding.
A recent federal study found that more than 360,000 acres disappeared from 2004 to 2009, much of it due to development. Storms have wreaked havoc on coastal wetlands for many many years, but the new enemy is the rapid increase in coastal residential and business development. Wetlands are being drained and replaced with parking lots, homes, stores, or dirt for ag purposes.
Compounding the problem, coastal wetlands aren’t the only areas in danger. Higher commodity prices and the desire for ethanol-based fuel are leading to the plowing of America’s prairies and fewer acres being enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). CRP, which pays farmers and ranchers to take ecologically sensitive land out of production, just can’t compete with the lure of high commodity prices. The program has lost over 6 million acres since 2007.
Photo: USDA NRCS
Wetlands are disappearing faster, just when we need them the most
By John Upton, Grist
Wetlands are going the way of the glaciers.
A new federal study has cataloged the alarming demise of the nation’s coastal ecosystems. Mangroves, marshes, and other wetlands help protect homes and communities from sea surges and storms. But more than 360,000 acres disappeared between 2004 and 2009, much of it cleared to make way for coastal development. Read more …
