OutdoorNebraska

49 S U P P LY O F O U T D O O R R E C R E AT I O N How do we conserve wetlands? There are specific steps that can be taken to conserve wetlands. Statewide recommendations on how to do this are described below. Protection: Since a vast majority of Nebraska's wetlands are privately owned, the conservation of these areas requires understanding and meeting the unique needs of landowners. A variety of tools are already available to allow this to happen, but new ones also need to be developed. There is a need to develop alternative ways to protect our remaining wetlands. These should include the use of easements to protect areas while allowing them to remain in private ownership, and seeking ways to help landowners generate income from their wetlands. Efforts to acquire important wetland areas also must continue. Restoration: Simply protecting our remaining wetland areas will not adequately ensure the conservation of our wetlands and the functions they provide. This is especially true for some wetland complexes where more than 90 percent of the wetlands have been eliminated or severely degraded. Efforts to restore wetlands on public and private land must be increased. Management: Given that wetlands are dynamic systems that historically were disturbed frequently, it may not be adequate to simply put a fence around a wetland and "walk away" from it. In the absence of natural processes and disturbances, wetlands need some management. Management might include water-level changes, tree removal, burning, prescribed grazing and haying, and sediment removal. There is a need to provide management assistance, especially to private landowners. Education: The importance of educating your users about how wetlands can serve as a benefit to humans and wildlife is paramount. Keeping them informed of the ways you're incorporating wetlands into your recreational efforts is also important. Ways communities can do this are by having events like open houses of the wetland area, creating nature trails with interpretive signage that allows the users to learn about the wildlife habitats, flora, fauna, and historical significance of the wetland site, or having outdoor classrooms for different ages to learn about them. Wetland restoration project at Memphis Lake WMA. (Saunders County) Figure 3.6: Wetland Conservation Methods Protection Education Restoration Management Wetland Conservation

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