SWS issued the Society of Wetland Scientists Denver Declaration on the Management and Restoration of Wetlands at the 2018 SWS Annual Meeting in Denver, CO, USA, on May 29 - June 1, 2018. Over 200 attendees signed the statement in support. The Statement reads as follows:
"The following participants at the Society of Wetland Scientists 2018 Annual Meeting affirm their support for the San Juan Statement on Climate Change and Wetlands that was signed by more than 200 participants at the Society's 2017 Annual Meeting.
The San Juan Statement encouraged all countries to continue their collaborative efforts to develop and implement international policies to mitigate global climate change.
In 2018, participants confirm that support and strengthen it to:
- recognize that all types of wetlands, including those underlain by permafrost and saltwater wetlands, are among the most productive ecosystems on the planet;
- ensure the protection of existing wetlands that are among the largest and most vulnerable carbon sinks on the planet;
- increase the capacity for additional carbon sequestration by wetlands where possible; and
- maintain and restore wetlands for their biodiversity and ecosystem services, including climate resiliency.