Investing in Nature Creating Jobs and Restoring Coastal Habitats.

摘要

In recent decades, huge strides have been made in public awareness about the value of our most important and yet critically imperiled coastal habitats. Since the 1970s, salt marshes, once negatively perceived as only swamps and breeding grounds for mosquitoes, are now focal points for bird watching and other ecotourism activities. Their role as nurseries for juvenile shrimp, crab and fish is well documented. Recent studies noting the value of salt marshes as a buffer against storm surges and waves reinforce their value for protecting life and property in our coastal communities. Accordingly, there are federal, state and local laws designed to protect salt marshes, and mitigation is usually required to repair damages caused by unavoidable or accidental impacts. Other habitats such as underwater grasses (seagrass) and corals are also increasingly protected from direct impacts from activities like channel dredging operations and scarring from recreational boats as they navigate across shallow areas. Indeed, regulatory measures resulting from the Clean Water Act and other state and local laws have helped to stem the loss of these habitats, but there is a profound need to bring back the millions of acres that have been lost so that our coasts continue to feed and protect people.