ELI's Wetlands Research and Policy Analysis
The Environmental Law Institute's groundbreaking research on wetlands law and policy continues to examine federal and state protections for aquatic resources, including developments in federal Clean Water Act jurisdiction and tools for local wetlands protection.
Priority Areas of Expertise and Resources:
ELI Study of State Wetland Programs
Launched in 2003, ELI’s 50-state wetland program study was designed to inform and advance state wetland protection by providing information on state program regulatory and non-regulatory tools and activities to state, tribal, and federal agencies, nongovernmental conservation organizations, and the public. For each of the 50 states, ELI examined seven “core” components of state wetland programs:
Hazard Mitigation Planning
Recently, increased emphasis has been placed on non-structural and nature-based hazard mitigation solutions, including the restoration of wetlands and floodplains, as cost-effective alternatives for flood hazard mitigation that also help achieve conservation goals like maintaining biodiversity. FEMA hazard mitigation grant programs could provide potential funding that could pay for the restoration and protection of critical natural infrastructure and improve outcomes and reduce costs from the next disaster.
Stakeholder Forum on Federal Wetlands Mitigation
Date Released
April 2002
On October 1-2, 2001, a Mitigation Stakeholders Forum was held at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Maryland Department of the Environment, and the National Aquarium in Baltimore sponsored the event. The forum brought together a diverse group of individuals from federal and state government, non-profit environmental organizations, third party mitigation providers, and others (e.g., academia, home builders, representatives of the oil and gas industry, non-governmental organizations, etc.).