Protection of wetlands from development impacts

Historical wetlands in the USA and throughout the world have experienced si gnificant impact. Today, wetlands in the USA are protected by law and resto ration efforts have also been undertaken. This paper critically presents th e current USA legal framework in relation to wetlands and development, comp aratively presents the concepts of mitigation and mitigation banking, analy zes the current practices in terms of advantages and disadvantages when it comes to wetland impacts and losses, and answers the question if on-site mi tigation and mitigation banking are or could be forms of sustainable develo pment.