Forested wetlands are a valuable resource - they provide habitat for a wide variety of fish and wildlife, play a role in flood control, have a positive effect on water quality, serve as the setting for many forms of outdoor recreation, and are a source of various commercially important products such as timber. In spite of these numerous benefits, however, the area of such lands in the United States has substantially declined. To a large degree, these wetland losses have resulted from differing public and private perspectives of the benefits and costs associated with retaining such lands as opposed to converting them to other uses. Past public policies, particularly at the federal level, have also tended to encourage wetlands development. In looking to the future, several factors seem to suggest that further forested-wetland losses will be significantly curtailed.