Building Community Awareness and Support for Wetlands through Recognition:

Wetland Gems and Ramsar

Katie BeilfussWisconsin Wetlands Association

Painting by Judi Ekholm

A statewide, non-profit organization dedicated to the protection, restoration

and enjoyment of wetlands and associated ecosystems through science-based programs, education and advocacy.

Gary Shackelford

David Schwaegler

Jack Bartholmai

Gary Shackelford

75% of Wisconsin’s wildlife species use wetlands during some stage of their lifecycle

Gary Shackelford

Kate Redmond Andy Clark

Eric Epstein

Wetlands remove pollution, trap sediments, remove nutrients and break down toxins,

helping to maintain clean and healthy waters for streams, rivers and lakes.

Ecotourism is the largest growing sector of our nation’s tourism and

Tourism generates more than $11 billion annually in Wisconsin.

Negative historical perceptions persist today:• Wetlands are wastelands• Wetlands breed disease and pestilence• Wetlands are obstacles to progress

Language perpetuates negative perceptions:• “Swamped”• “Bogged down”• “Stuck in mire”

“Wetlands are Wastelands”

• More than half of Wisconsin’s original 10 million acres have been lost

• Many of remaining wetlands are threatened or degraded→ Invasive species→Altered hydrology→Fragmented landscapes

Wetlands were not only undervalued,

they were actively destroyed

MarshJack Bartholmai

Wetlands are not just this…

Coniferous BogAndrew Galvin

Coniferous Swamp Robin Maercklein

Floodplain Forest Robin Maercklein

Lowland Hardwood SwampLaura England

Open BogDavid Schwaegler

Ephemeral Pond Brynda Hatch

Alder Thicket Eric Epstein

Shrub CarrSteve Eggers

Fen Steve Eggers

Sedge MeadowBrynda Hatch

Low Prairie Brynda Hatch

Because wetlands are not well understood or valued,

they are often typecast as obstacles to progress

in public dialogue

Project Purpose

Casting change: from “obstacles” to “treasures”• Raise profile of and elevate public interest in

wetlands• Increase public awareness of wetland values• Motivate citizens to explore and enjoy wetlands• Generate community pride in local wetland

treasures• Catalyze community involvement in stewardship

and protection of local wetland treasures

Wetland Gems Are…

• Natural treasures • Representatives of the

state’s wetland diversity• Important for biodiversity• Provide “natural services”• Destinations for recreation

& outdoor education

Mink River Estuary, Door County. Clint Farlinger.

Wetland Gems collectively represent Wisconsin’s wetland heritage.

www.wisconsinwetlands.org/gems.htm

• Landowners, state decision makers• Local partners & outlets (service centers, nature

centers, visitor centers)• Lake Associations• Media work to new audiences• Wetland Gems book distribution (schools, libraries,

nature centers, nature book stores and gift shops)

Foundation for future WWA programs

• WWA Field Trip Series to Wetland Gems• Promotion of events & programs at Wetland

Gems• Assisting landowners, “Friends” groups and

other partners to continue to use the Wetland Gems designation to:• attract additional funding• attract more community support• aid protection and restoration efforts

Ramsar International Convention on

Wetlands

“Wetlands of International Importance”

Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

• Signed in Ramsar, Iran in 1971Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Iran, Ireland, Jordan, Netherlands, Pakistan, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, USSR, and the UK.

• Entered into Force in 1975

Ramsar Does:

• Encourage nations to promote wetlands conservation and list wetlands of international importance as Ramsar sites

• Provide wise use guidelines, training opportunities, and access to financial resources

What Ramsar Does/Does Not Do

Ramsar Does Not:

• Impose restrictions on nations and landowners

• Affect sovereignty rights –site listing is voluntary

• Act as a regulating entity or a UN convention

Ramsar Worldwide

• 160 parties, including the U.S. (1987), Canada, Mexico

• 1898 sites

• nearly 460 million acres

• 30 sites in U.S.

• > 3 million acres

30 U.S. Ramsar Sites

23

24

27

US joined Convention

in 1987

25

26

29

28

9 Ramsar Criteria

1. Site contains representative, rare or unique wetland types

2. Site supports vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered species

3. Site supports plant/animal populations important for regional biodiversity

4. Site supports plant/animal species at a critical stage in life cycles

5. Site regularly supports 20,000 or more waterbirds

9 Ramsar Criteria

6. Site regularly supports 1% of population of waterbird species/subspecies

7. Site supports significant proportion of indigenous fish species that are representative of wetland benefits/values

8. Site is an important source of food for fish, spawning ground, nursery and/or migration path

9. Site regularly supports 1% of population of species/subspecies of wetland-dependent, non-avian animal species

Survey of U.S. Ramsar Sites

• Site’s public identification with Ramsar

• Benefits of Ramsar Designation

• How to strengthen Ramsar in the U.S.

Royal C. Gardner and Kim Diana ConnollyRoyal C. Gardner and Kim Diana ConnollyEnvironmental Law Reporter February 2007Environmental Law Reporter February 2007

Benefits of Ramsar Designation

Support for protection of site and surrounding areas

– Acquisition of surrounding lands

– Encourages watershed conservation partnerships

– Ramsar label helps in response to proposed development and other threats (mining, development, logging, road construction, etc.)

Benefits of Ramsar Designation

• Assistance with Grant Applications & Funding Requests (18/22)

– NAWCA Grants

– Land and Water Conservation Fund

– NFWF and Other Grants

Benefits of Ramsar Designation

•• Increase community/regional pride in siteIncrease community/regional pride in site

•• Increase community/regional awareness of Increase community/regional awareness of importance of siteimportance of site

• Used Wetland Gems list to identify potential Ramsar site candidates

• Identified priority sites for nomination

• Supporting landowners & land managers of these priority sites in their efforts to nominate the sites

Wisconsin Ramsar Initiative

• Kakagon-Bad River Sloughs• Crex Meadows & Rice Lake• Door Peninsula Coastal Wetlands

(including Moonlight Bay, Mud Lake, North Bay, & Mink River Estuary)

• Lower Wisconsin Riverway & Wyalusing State Park

• Lower Chippewa River Delta• Chiwaukee Prairie• Suk-Cerney Wetlands (Necedah NWR)• Cedarburg Bog & Mud Lake• St. Louis River Marshes• West Shore Green Bay Wetlands• Bark Bay

Wisconsin Ramsar Initiative

Selected 11 priority candidate sites (in priority order):

Building Community Support

• “Gold star”

• Community pride

• Unique resource for attracting tourism (and related revenues)

• Media attention

• “Social protection” of resource

WITH THANKS TO OUR FUNDERS