Overview

For over half a century the Fish and Wildlife Service has been monitoring wetland trends of the nation. In 1956, the first report on wetland status and classification provided indications that wetland habitat for migratory waterfowl had experienced substantial declines (Shaw and Fredine 1956).Over the intervening 51 years, the Fish and Wildlife Service has implemented a scientifically based process to periodically measure wetland status and trends in the conterminous United States. The Fish and Wildlife Service's Wetlands Status and Trends study was developed specifically for monitoring the nation's wetland area using a single, consistent definition and study protocol. The Fish and Wildlife Service has specialized knowledge of wetland habitats, classification, and ecological changes and has used that capability to conduct a series of wetland monitoring studies that document the status and trends of our nation's wetlands. This report is the latest in that series of scientific studies.