The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has closed the doors of the National Wetland Inventory office in St. Petersburg, Florida after 32 years. The work of this office raised awareness as to the loss of wetlands with its annual reports that alerted the public about the accelerating pressures of land development. This work ultimately led to restoration and conservation initiatives as well as policy changes at both the federal and state levels.
There’s a nice tribute to the organization’s work on The Compleat Wetlander blog that outlines the history of this group, and the fluctuating funding of the effort over the years. The National Wetland Inventory continues, having primarily been relocated to the Madison, Wisc. office. With reduced funding, the office maps roughly 1-2% of the nation yearly, a far different pace from the 80′s and 90′s when the project employed 18 staff and 150 contractors.
