Editors' Summary: The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat, more commonly knows as the Ramsar Convention, is one international framework used to protect wetlands. At this time, the United States has designated 22 sites as wetlands of international importance. In this Article, Royal C. Gardner and Kim Diana Connolly analyze survey data collected from each of these 22 sites to determine whether and how Ramsar designation benefits these wetland areas. The authors first provide a brief overview of the Ramsar Convention, including its function within the United States. They then break down the survey data, looking at both benefits and problems of Ramsar designation. Finally, they make several recommendations for strengthening Ramsar within the United States.
Royal C. Gardner is Professor of Law and Director, Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy, at Stetson University College of Law. He currently is chair of the U.S. National Ramsar Committee and is the North American representative to the Ramsar Scientific and Technical Review Panel. He can be reached at
gardner@law.stetson.edu. Kim Diana Connolly is Associate Professor of Law at the University of South Carolina School of Law and teaches wetland law and policy in Vermont Law School's summer program. She is a member of the U.S. National Ramsar Committee and serves as its liaison to Wetlands International. Professor Connolly can be reached at
connolly@law.sc.edu. The authors thank Robert Oldendick, Director of Survey Research, Institute for Public Service and Policy Research, College of Arts and Sciences, University of South Carolina, for his help in designing the survey instrument, Vanessa Byars for compiling survey results, Valerie Cochran and Kristine P. Jones for their research assistance, and all the survey participants. We also are also grateful for the very helpful comments on an earlier draft of this Article provided by the Ramsar Secretariat, Ramsar Scientific and Technical Review Panel, and the U.S. National Ramsar Committee.
