February 2 is World Wetlands Day, celebrated around the world to promote public awareness of the value of wetlands -- both for the environment and for people. The theme of this year’s World Wetlands Day is "Wetland world - a world to discover." This day also marks the 30^th anniversary of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971.

The Ramsar Convention was one of the first intergovernmental treaties to focus on a specific wildlife habitat. From the first 18 countries to sign the treaty, the number of parties to the Convention has grown to 123.

The United States joined the Ramsar Convention in 1986. We have designated 17 sites as Wetlands of International Importance -- from Alaska to Florida -- which total nearly 1.2 million acres. Eleven of the 17 sites are units of the National Wildlife Refuge System, a network of lands managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, helping to conserve the biological resources of the United States.

Americans in growing numbers are focusing efforts on protecting their local wetlands and recognizing their important values and functions -- such as flood control, groundwater replenishment, water purification, storm protection, havens of biodiversity and cultural values, as well as being an economic resource for many local communities.

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands has played an important role in fostering international cooperation on wetlands protection and awareness. Information about Ramsar sites is available on the Ramsar page of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service web page: http://international.fws.gov/ramsar/usramsar.html, or on the Ramsar web site at: www.ramsar.org.

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