Working Smart to Protect Wetlands: A Primer	Frequently Asked Wetland Protection Questions	Success Stories: Read & Submit
Wetland Rules & Regulations	Wetland Protection Strategies	Links to Additional Information & Resources
Local Government Decisions & Wetlands	Gathering Information About Your Wetland	Report a Wetland Concern or Request Assistance

Introduction || Basic Principles || Key Players || Federal Regulations || WI Regulations || Wetland Mitigation

Introduction
Construction activities in wetlands are regulated to varying degrees under federal, state and local laws. While these laws do not expressly forbid the filling or degrading of wetlands to build roads, businesses and homes, they do require the acquisition of one or more government permits authorizing the wetland development activity. The number and type of permits depends on many factors, including the details of the proposed activity and the location of the wetland(s). Some permits require public input before they can be approved.

The intersection of federal, state and local regulatory authority over construction activities in wetlands can be a bit confusing. But understanding who makes what decisions, and the legal basis for those decisions, positions you to hold decision makers accountable for making good and lawful decisions. Trust us: decision makers always respond most seriously to constituents who understand and cite applicable laws.

This does not mean you need to be a legal expert to be taken seriously. Wisconsin Wetlands Association keeps up with the wetland laws and regulations on behalf of concerned citizens like you, and we designed these Protecting Wetlands webpages to help you tap into our expertise.

The more complex or controversial a project, the more detailed knowledge of wetland laws you’ll need, so the following pages begin with a discussion of basic wetland permitting principles and key players, before moving into a more in-depth discussion of the laws and guidelines that govern wetland permit decisions at the federal, state and local levels. Follow the links below or on the submenu above to learn about:

1. Basic Principles of Wetland Permitting: Terminology, methodology and key factors considered as part of every wetland permit review.
2. Key Players: The agencies and individuals involved in federal and state wetland permit review decisions.
3. Federal Regulations and Wisconsin Wetland Regulations: Detailed information on wetland permitting laws and links to the statutes and guidelines for implementation of those laws.
4. Wetland Mitigation in Wisconsin: An explanation of wetland compensatory mitigation and links to statutes and guidelines for the implementation of federal and Wisconsin wetland mitigation programs.

> Click here to continue to the discussion of Basic Principles of Wetland Permitting.