Robertson travels to D.C.

In mid-March, GSS Executive Director Andy Robertson was in Washington, D.C., to advocate for additional funding for the National Wetland Inventory (NWI) program. NWI data is utilized for many different analysis projects in the private, non-profit, and government sectors, and is estimated to save the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers $8.25 million annually by providing information for their Clean Water Act decision process. Wetlands are a critical component of our environment, providing an estimated $7.7 trillion in benefits each year (flood protection, erosion control, nutrient cycling, groundwater recharge, etc.). Yet 63% of the NWI information is over 30 years old, and the state of Alaska still has not been completely mapped. Funding for the NWI program has been flat since 2016. An additional $4 million has been in the proposed federal budget for the past 3 years but has been cut from the final budget every year. GSS is joining our partners, Ducks Unlimited and the National Association of Wetland Managers (NAWM), in asking Congress for enough funding to complete a nationwide updated wetlands inventory by 2030, followed by updates every 5 years. While in D.C., Andy met with six different Congressional offices (five House and one Senate) to help the coalition make their case. 

This map shows the years that current NWI data are based on - areas in red and orange have not been updated since the 1970s or 1980s, and cross-hatched areas do not currently have any data in the NWI.