Wetlands Preservation in the United States: A Case of Fragmented Authority

This article addresses the problems which have been associated with environmental regulation in the context of wetlands preservation. The article begins by reviewing how wetlands protection evolved from the early seventies. The article concentrates on the Clean Water Act Amendments of 1977, especially the nationwide permit system. The article provides a comprehensive discussion of the permitting process. The article concludes that there are many changes that need to be made, especially bringing all actors involved in wetlands regulation together to attempt to remedy the problems inherent in a fragmented regulatory system