Oregon Sea Grant

Oregon has long been a leader in developing programs to protect and preserve wetlands through state regulation and local land use planning. But in spite of our best efforts, wetland losses continue. One reason for these continued losses is the relatively minor emphasis Oregon places on nonregulatory restoration of wetlands for their inherent functions and values, not just as mitigation for development activities. Furthermore, there have been few attempts to integrate wetlands into other Oregon programs that seek to improve water quality, lessen flood damage, recover fish stocks, or restore watersheds.

These findings suggest a need for an explicit nonregulatory strategy for restoring wetlands in Oregon--a strategy that will lead to improved coordination among governmental and nongovernmental programs, provide better assessment tools, and improve technical assistance to landowners.

Recommendations for a Nonregulatory Wetland Restoration Program for Oregon is the result of a two-year effort to forge such a strategy. This proposed wetland restoration program consists of 10 recommendations and 33 implementing actions. Together, they offer a comprehensive strategy to advance nonregulatory restoration in Oregon.