42 Implementation Guidance 



use within it. The U.S. sees the Convention as another important public 

 awareness tool to highlight various wetland values. 



The Convention came into force in 1975. The United States signed the 

 Convention in 1985. By December 1986, 44 nations had joined and 

 designated 358 wetlands on the International List. The U.S. Senate 

 ratified the Convention in October 1986 and four U.S. wetland sites (Ash 

 Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Nevada; Edwin B. Forsythe 

 NWR, New Jersey; Izembek NWR, Alaska; and Okefenokee NWR, 

 Georgia and Florida) were added to the International List in December 

 1986. The U.S. became a full member to the Convention on April 8, 1987. 

 The U.S. nominated two additional sites, State- and Federally-owned 

 wetlands within the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem and the Everglades 

 National Park, for addition to the International List, at the Convention 

 meeting held in Regina, Canada from May 27 to June 5, 1987. 



Wetlands of International Importance are identified by using the 1987 

 Regina criteria (Appendix 2) which superseded the 1980 Cagliari criteria. 

 A wetljind site must meet any one (or any subpart of a criterion) of the 

 three criteria to qualify for nomination as a wetlands of international 

 importance. Members to the convention nominate wetlands that meet the 

 criteria but the wetland site is not actually designated as a wetlands of 

 international importance until it is approved by member parties to the 

 Convention. At the May-June 1987 Regina meeting, a definition for wise 

 use of wetlands and guidelines for the application of criterion 1 were 

 adopted. A meeting was held in Costa Rica in January 1988 to review the 

 Regina criteria and prepare further recommendations, and develop 

 guidelines regarding the wise use of wetlands. 



WetlEuids meeting criteria for inclusion on a list appearing in a Concept 

 Plan may also satisfy criteria that would qualifying them to be considered 

 for inclusion on the International List. However, a wetland site should be 

 secure from threat of loss or major external impact (e.g., in public or 

 private ownership and managed for conservation purposes) prior to 

 eventual nomination to the International List. The Service, after 

 coordination with appropriate State and Federal agencies and private 

 organizations, will identify wetlands under the NSW Target in LAPS 

 that meet the criteria for consideration to be nominated to the 

 International List. 



g. National Natural Landmark Program 



The National Park Service administers the National Natural Landmark 

 Program which strives to identify the best examples of natural systems. 

 Natural Landmarks are nominated, studied and designated by the 

 National Park Service according to a classification system which 

 includes natural regions (e.g., Appalachian Ranges, Mohave-Sonoran 

 Desert, Virgin Islands) and resource types (e.g., aquatic community, 

 estuary, cave, river). Some sites are already in public ownership, others 



