10.2190/8F42-7QMJ-KQE5-JQP5 8F427QMJKQE5JQP5 5 Forecasting the Impacts of Global Forces on America's Wetlands 69 76 20020509 20020509 20020509 20020509 8F427QMJKQE5JQP5.pdf http://baywood.metapress.com/link.asp?target=contribution&id=8F427QMJKQE5JQP5 1 William R. Mangun U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Department of the Interior, National Resource Management Coord The forces and trends shaping America's wetlands and the manner in which proper futures forecasting methods can be used to determine more adequate policies for their preservation and maintenance are the focus of this article. The most current scientific definition of wetlands is provided with a description of the roles and functions of wetlands. A section is devoted to the continuing decline in the quality and quantity of wetlands in the United States. A description of the forces, both nationally and internationally, which are specifically leading to the declines is also presented. The article concludes with a section which provides suggestions of how current forecasting techniques could be used by policymakers, or their staffs, to minimize the negative side-effects of development decisions on wetlands. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Biological Services, <i>Classification of Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats of the United States</i>, FWS/OBS-79/31, prepared by Lewis Cowardin, et al. Washington: U. S. Government Printing Office, p. 3., December, 1979. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Biological Services, <i>Proceedings of the National Wetland Classification and Inventory Workshop, 1975, College Park Maryland</i>, FWS/OBS-76-09, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington, p. 1., July, 1976. E. P. Odum, <i>Fundamentals of Ecology</i>, 3rd ed., W. B. Saunders Co, Philadelphia, p. 359, 1971. Council on Environmental Quality, <i>Our Nation's Wetlands</i>, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington, p. 23, 1978. Council on Environmental Quality, <i>Environmental Trends</i>, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington, p. 19, July 1981. W. Niering, Wetland Values, in <i>Proceedings of the National Wetland Protection Symposium</i>, Reston, Virginia, 1977, FWS/OBS-78/79, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, Office of Biological Services, November, 1978. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Program Plans. <i>Important Resource Problem Source Document</i>, prepared by William R. Mangun. Washington, September, 1980. W. E. Frayer, D. C. Bowden and F. A. Graybill, Preliminary Report on Statistical Analysis of Wetland Gains and Losses Between Mid-1950's and Late 1970's in the Conterminous United States, U. S. Fish and Wildlife, National Wetland Inventory, Washington, 1982. U. S. Senate, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Environmental Pollution of the Committee on Public Works, Serial No. 94-H31, Part 1, December 15, 1975. U. S. House of Representatives, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Serial No. 97-32, May 28, 1981. U. S. Senate, Wetland Management, A Report prepared by the Congressional Research Service for the Committee on Environment and Public Works, Serial No. 97-11, p. 69, July 1982.