A Comparison of State and Provincial Wetlands Regulation

A careful comparison of state and provincial wetland regulation reveals that wetlands protection in the Great Lakes Basin is complex, disjointed, and incomplete. Only two of the eight Great Lakes states have comprehensive legislation that specifically protects wetlands (Michigan and New York). The other states and province of Ontario use a patchwork of laws and regulations designed primarily for other purposes that often only address wetlands indirectly. In general, the state permit programs only limit activities conducted in navigable waters or wetlands located in a floodway.