Wetlands of International Importance: National Wildlife Refuges and the Ramsar Convention

1. Wetlands of International Importance:National Wildlife Refuges and the Ramsar Convention Royal C. Gardner U.S. National Ramsar Committee Steve Atzert Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge May 2008 Briefing for the Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus

2. Ramsar Convention on Wetlands • Signed in Ramsar, Iran in 1971 • Entered into Force in 1975

3. Ramsar Does: Encourage nations to promote wetlands conservation and list wetlands of international importance as Ramsar sites Provide wise use guidelines, training opportunities, and access to financial resources Ramsar Does Not: Impose restrictions on nations and landowners Affect sovereignty rights – site listing is voluntary Act as a regulating entity or a UN convention What Ramsar Does/Does Not Do

4. Wetlands of International Importance • Site Contains Representative, Rare, or Unique Wetland Types • Site Supports Vulnerable, Endangered, or Critically Endangered Species • Site Supports Plant/Animal Populations Important for Regional Biodiversity

5. Wetlands of International Importance • Site Regularly Supports 1% of Population of Waterbird Species/Subspecies • Site Supports Plant/Animal Species at a Critical Stage in Life Cycles • Site Regularly Supports 20,000 or More Waterbirds

6. Wetlands of International Importance • Site Supports Significant • Proportion of Indigenous Fish Species That Are • Representative of Wetland Benefits/Values • Site Is an Important Source of Food for Fish, Spawning Ground, Nursery and/or Migration Path • Site Regularly Supports 1% of Population of Species/Subspecies of Wetland-Dependent, Non-Avian Animal Species

7. Ramsar Worldwide • 158 parties, including the U.S. • Ninth COP in Uganda in 2005; Tenth COP in ROK in 2008 • More than 1740 sites designated covering almost 400 million acres – 24 in U.S. with over 3 million acres

9. Florida: Okefenokee NWR Pelican Island NWR Georgia: Okefenokee NWR Illinois: Cypress Creek NWR Kansas: Quivira NWR Alaska: Izembek NWR Arkansas: Cache River NWR White River NWR California: Merced NWR San Luis NWR Tijuana Slough NWR Delaware: Bombay Hook NWR Prime Hook NWR

10. South Dakota: • Sand Lake NWR • Texas: • Caddo Lake NWR • Virginia: • Mason Neck NWR • Presquile NWR • Wisconsin: • Horicon NWR Louisiana: Catahoula NWR Maryland: Blackwater NWR Eastern Neck NWR Martin NWR Nevada: Ash Meadows NWR New Jersey: Cape May NWR Edwin B. Forsythe NWR Supawna Meadows NWR

11. U.S. National Ramsar Committee • Mission: Support the goals and objectives of the Ramsar Convention within the U.S. and internationally • Members: NGOs that have an interest in Ramsar issues • Observers: Representatives of U.S. agencies (FWS, State, EPA, Forest Service, NOAA) • www.ramsarcommittee.us

12. Survey of U.S. Ramsar Sites • Site Identification with Ramsar • Benefits of Ramsar Designation • Recommendations to Strengthen Ramsar in the United States

13. Benefits of Ramsar Designation • Increase Pride in Site • Increase Local Awareness of Importance of Site

14. Benefits of Ramsar Designation • Increased Funding Opportunities • NAWCA Grants • Land and Water Conservation Fund • NFWF and Other Grants

15. Benefits of Ramsar Designation • Support for Protection of Site and Surrounding Areas • Acquisition of Surrounding Lands • Encourages Watershed Conservation Partnerships • Invocation of Status in Response to Proposed Development

16. Benefits of Ramsar Designation • Increased Scientific Studies and Tourism Activity • Izembek (eel grass studies) • Caddo Lake (environmental flows studies) • Catahoula Lake (vegetation and lakebed elevation studies)

17. RamsarDesignationProcess • Scientific • mustmeet at leastone of thenineecologicalcriteria • Political • alllandownersmustconsent • letters of supportfromstate natural resourcesagency and at leastoneMember of Congress

18. Edwin B. Forsythe NWR, NJ • One of the first four Ramsar sites designated by the United States -- Dec. 18, 1986 • The other three sites were: • Izembek Lagoon NWR, AK • Okefenokee NWR, GA & FL • Ash Meadows NWR, NV

20. Since EBFNWR Ramsar Designation • Barnegat Bay National Estuary designated in 1997 -- One of 28 sites • Jacques Cousteau National Estuary Research Reserve designated in 1998 – One of 27 sites • EBFNWR designated a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network site in 2001 – One of 40 sites in the US

21. Since EBFNWR Ramsar Designation • The New Jersey Green Acres Program has steeped in to acquire lands • The Ocean County Open Space program has stepped in to acquire lands • Congress has added several million dollars in the LWCF for land acquisition • Refuge acquisition boundary expanded three times by a total of over 13,000 acres

22. Since EBFNWR Ramsar designation • Refuge featured in Atlantic County birdwatching guide • Return to economy from recreation use on the refuge is $5.05 for each $1 in federal budgeted funding (Banking on Nature 2006, USFWS)

23. Since EBFNWR Ramsar Designation • The Service has acquired over 13,000 acres for the refuge • The refuge expansion permanently protects the wetlands. Wetlands are among the world’s most productive habitats. In addition to tourism and recreational value wetlands provide many other economic benefits, water supply and purification, fisheries production, stabilization of local climate conditions and disturbance regulation.

26. Thank you for your attention. Royal C. Gardner U.S. National Ramsar Committee Stetson University College of Law gardner@law.stetson.edu Steve Atzert Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge Steve_Atzert@fws.gov