On #worldwetlandsday, Stakeholders Form Alliance to Conserve Wetland Forests of the U.S. South
National Geographic (February 2, 2017)

On World Wetlands Day (February 2, 2017), a diverse group of stakeholders have joined together to announce a major multi-state effort to conserve one of America’s most precious natural resources, wetland forests of the South. The Wetland Forest Initiative is a new, collaborative effort dedicated to conserving, restoring, and improving the condition of Southern wetland forests.

The initiative will work with landowners, communities, conservation organizations, and government agencies to create a future where there are abundant and healthy wetland forests for the benefit of local communities and native wildlife. A majority of wetland forests have been lost due to conversion to agriculture and real estate development in the last 300 years.

“Today we are excited to join with communities, landowners, government agencies, and conservation partners to shine a spotlight on the role that our forested wetlands play in protecting our coastal communities from the worst impacts of climate change and as a treasure to our region’s natural heritage,” said Danna Smith, Executive Director at Dogwood Alliance. “We all share the common belief that working together we can make these forests the next great conservation priority in the United States.”

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