GLIN==> Wisconsin Wetlands Association Wins International Wetland Conservation Award

   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: November 15, 2011
Contact: Katie Beilfuss, (608) 250-9971, Katie.Beilfuss at wisconsinwetlands.org

WISCONSIN WETLANDS ASSOCIATION WINS INTERNATIONAL
WETLAND CONSERVATION AWARD
MADISON, WI. Wisconsin Wetlands Association has been selected to  
receive the 2012 WETLAND CONSERVATION AWARD by the international  
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands for the organization?s outstanding  
achievements in the area of wetland education. Wisconsin Wetlands  
Association is the first ever recipient of this award from the United  
States, joining previous laureates from Thailand, Australia, Japan,  
Kenya, China, Peru, and Canada.

Wisconsin Wetlands Association is being honored for its work to  
promote and increase the number of designated Ramsar /Wetlands of  
International Importance /in Wisconsin and the United States. In 2009,  
Wisconsin Wetlands Association established the Wisconsin Ramsar  
Committee to identify globally-important wetlands in Wisconsin and to  
work toward international recognition and acclaim for these critical  
sites through designation as /Wetlands of International Importance/.  
This initiative is believed to be the first strategic approach to  
identifying sites for this prestigious designation. To date, one site  
has been nominated and is in official review and other nominations are  
in process.

The award also honors Wisconsin Wetlands Association?s outreach and  
education programs that promote the ideals of the Ramsar Convention,  
including helping people understand what wetlands are and why they  
matter. Wisconsin Wetlands Association?s /Wetland Gems /program,  
launched in 2009, recognizes and promotes 100 high-quality wetland  
sites that represent the diversity of wetlands in Wisconsin in order  
to increase public appreciation for all of Wisconsin?s wetlands. Work  
to identify sites for designation as Ramsar Wetlands of International  
Importance built on the list of /Wetland Gems  
/(<www.wisconsinwetlands.org/gems.htm).

?We are thrilled that our work to promote wetlands has received this  
prestigious recognition,? said WWA Outreach Programs Director Katie  
Beilfuss, who also serves as Vice-Chair of the U.S. National Ramsar  
Committee. ?We are eager for our initiative to bring international  
acclaim and economic opportunities to other Wisconsin communities to  
promote their wetland assets, as Horicon Marsh and the Upper  
Mississippi River Floodplain Wetlands have so effectively done.?

The Ramsar Conservation Award is presented by Standing Committee of  
the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, an intergovernmental treaty that  
provides the framework for national action and international  
cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their  
resources (see below). The Award was established in 1996 to recognize  
and honor the contributions of individuals, organizations, and  
governments around the world to these ideals. The Award for education  
rewards the best initiative for communication, education,  
participation, and awareness of Ramsar-designated /Wetlands of  
International Importance/, focusing on initiatives that engage local  
communities. The Award is accompanied by the Evian Special Prize, a  
$10,000 cash prize generously donated by the Danone Group of France.

?We are deeply honored and energized to receive this Award in  
recognition of our work to promote wetlands,? said Mary Linton, Chair  
of the Board of the Wisconsin Wetlands Association. ?We hope our work  
will inspire others across the region, nation, and beyond to work on  
behalf of wetlands, a critical part of our landscape.?

  Wisconsin Wetlands Association is a non-profit organization  
dedicated to the  protection, restoration and enjoyment of wetlands  
and associated ecosystems  through science-based programs, education  
and advocacy. Established in 1969,  WWA is the first and oldest  
statewide organization focused exclusively on wetland protection. Our  
more than 1400 members include wetland scientists and educators,  
conservationists, hunters, concerned citizens, and local and regional  
organizations.
###

   FACT SHEET ABOUT THE RAMSAR CONVENTION ON WETLANDS
The international Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is a cooperative,  
non-regulatory means of wetlands protection. In 1971, a convention was  
held in Ramsar, Iran, to ratify terms of an agreement that obligated  
Parties to the Convention (i.e. member nations) to designate sites as  
Wetlands of International Importance ("Ramsar sites"), apply a "wise  
use" (sustainable) concept to all wetlands within a Party?s territory,  
and engage in international cooperation on wetland conservation. The  
Ramsar Convention is celebrating its 40th
Anniversary in 2011.

   Worldwide, more than 160 countries, including the United States,  
are Parties to the Ramsar Convention. To date, more than 1,960 sites  
comprising 470 million acres have been designated as /Wetlands of  
International Importance /worldwide, including the Okavango Delta in  
Botswana, the Everglades in south Florida, and the
Pantanal in Brazil. Wisconsin boasts two listed /Wetlands of  
International Importance/: Horicon Marsh in Dodge County (designated  
in 1990) and the Upper Mississippi River Floodplain Wetlands  
(designated in 2010).  Both sites are treasured by the people of  
Wisconsin and attract thousands of visitors each year, thus serving as  
economic engines for the communities in which they are located. The  
Unites States has designated 30 sites totaling over 3 million acres.

   The U.S. National Ramsar Committee (USNRC) was formed in 1984 to  
support the goals and objectives of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands  
within the United States and internationally. The USNRC provides  
support and advice to initiatives that promote the conservation and  
wise, sustainable use of domestic and international wetlands. The  
USNRC is committed to increasing the number of designated Ramsar sites  
in the United States in recognition of our nation?s wealth of  
wetlands. Wisconsin Wetlands Association is a member of the U.S.  
National Ramsar Committee and Outreach Programs Director Katie  
Beilfuss currently serves as Vice-Chair.

   More information about the Ramsar Wetland Conservations Awards can  
be found at
<  
www.ramsar.org/cda/en/ramsar-news-announcing-2012-ramsar-awards/main/ramsar/1-
26%5E25440_4000_0__.

   More information about the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands can be  
found at <www.ramsar.org.

   More information about Wisconsin Wetlands Association can be found  
at <www.wisconsinwetlands.org.

   Wisconsin Wetlands Association?s /Wetland Gems /program and Ramsar  
initiative were made possible with support from:

   *  The Brico Fund, LLC
   * The McKnight Foundation
   * Wisconsin Coastal Management Program and the National Oceanic and  
Atmospheric Administration Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource  
Management under the Coastal Zone Management Act, Grant #NA07NOS4190064
   * Contributions from WWA members


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