Mediating Wetlands Disputes

Around the country, wetlands development is being met with resistance form affected communities, landowners, and environmentalists. These conflicts, ranging from community-level disputes to a national debate on the very definition of a wetland, are resulting in an increased polarization of viewpoints. Given this situation and the need to make management decision in spite of differences, there is a role for dispute resolution processes, mediation, and collaborative planning to help resolve the differing needs and competing interests of the involved parties.