Ducks Unlimited, the wetlands conservation group, has experience with the former, non-regulatory approach. There's plenty of overlap here. We work every day with farmers eager to implement wildlife friendly farm practices. Most folks aren't aware that about 70 percent of our nation's wetlands exist on land that is privately held, so it is critical to find non-confrontational solutions that landowners will embrace. A Critical Part of The Solution Wetland protection and restoration will be critical elements of the action plan.
Wetlands are nature's natural filters, absorbing pollutants before they infiltrate waterways.
Wetland restoration, to a large extent, has been and will continue to be achieved through voluntary measures. I think there's a perception that conservation can only be achieved through forced, regulatory efforts. This is not true. Another example is conservation easements, a vital land protection tool for private conservation groups like Ducks Unlimited, the Nature Conservancy, The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and American Farmland Trust. Easements protect land in perpetuity while giving the landowner a sizeable tax break.