Author(s)

V.A. Tsihrintzis

Abstract

Historical wetlands in the USA and throughout the world have experienced significant impact. Today, wetlands in the USA are protected by law and restoration efforts have also been undertaken. This paper critically presents the current USA legal framework in relation to wetlands and development, comparatively presents the concepts of mitigation and mitigation banking, analyzes the current practices in terms of advantages and disadvantages when it comes to wetland impacts and losses, and answers the question if on-site mitigation and mitigation banking are or could be forms of sustainable development. 1 Introduction and background Wetlands are considered today among the most important ecosystems on the Earth. However, in the past their value was not r

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