[PASSED] Wetland Protection Protocol

[The Dark Star Republic]

"Perhaps something more on international impact (migratory wildfowl, for example) would help."

And in some cases wetlands serve as 'nurseries' for some species of fish whose adults have international ranges, too..

"Fine, yes; I was more familiar with wildfowl*, but I'm sure that's also true. Just something that demonstrates there's a transnational scope to environmental legislation beyond 'the WA knows better than you do what's good for your country'."

~ Ms. Chinmusic

* The Ramsar Convention's full title is actually "Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially as Waterfowl Habitat".

[Separatist Peoples]

And in some cases wetlands serve as 'nurseries' for some species of fish whose adults have international ranges, too..

"Fine, yes; I was more familiar with wildfowl*, but I'm sure that's also true. Just something that demonstrates there's a transnational scope to environmental legislation beyond 'the WA knows better than you do what's good for your country'."

~ Ms. Chinmusic

* The Ramsar Convention's full title is actually "Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially as Waterfowl Habitat".

"Then you can me know if the adjustments I've just made meet those criteria, Ms. Chinmusic. It took a good bit of balancing to get the space for it. I knew this would be a tight fit when I started, but this has been a game of plus or minus five characters at a stretch."

[The Dark Star Republic]

"Looks good. I think your 'Realizing' clause is missing a word, though. 'And have effects that cannot...'?"

~ Ms. Chinmusic

[Separatist Peoples]

"So, let's see what else I can get from this. Still not sure if I even want to take this to vote, but the technical exercise here is too much fun to ignore."

[Sierra Lyricalia]

I was hoping we hadn't seen the last of this. If your back's up against the wall character-wise, I'm happy to run through it with an editorial scalpel to remove a few extraneous constructions that I can see. I also see a couple of list code faults (presumably stuff just leftover from previous drafts), for example in 2.e. and 3.b.

Paragraph 5 is where I see the most backlash, particularly from the nitpicking class of nations who will say more or less "What! Our entire national industry?!? How dare you presume to etc. etc. harrumph grub grub grub grub!" Adding something like "...in relation to treatment of wetlands" is likely to get at least a few hundred otherwise orc-lemming hybrid votes back on your side, I'd think.

[Wrapper]

Paragraph 5 is where I see the most backlash, particularly from the nitpicking class of nations who will say more or less "What! Our entire national industry?!? How dare you presume to etc. etc. harrumph grub grub grub grub!" Adding something like "...in relation to treatment of wetlands" is likely to get at least a few hundred otherwise orc-lemming hybrid votes back on your side, I'd think.

We're not sure exactly what "national industry" in paragraph 5 means. Are you talking about the top industry in each nation? If so, what if it's something that would not encroach on wetlands, such as Information Technology or Pizza Delivery? If not, then it should say "all industry". Therefore....

(Ari points to his assistant, who lets out a loud and proud "HARRRRRUMPH!")

Thank you, Ahume. Other than that--

(Ahume continues with a "Grub grub grub grub....")

THANK you, Wad Ahume. Other than that, none of this seems objectionable to us. Good luck.

[Separatist Peoples]

I was hoping we hadn't seen the last of this. If your back's up against the wall character-wise, I'm happy to run through it with an editorial scalpel to remove a few extraneous constructions that I can see. I also see a couple of list code faults (presumably stuff just leftover from previous drafts), for example in 2.e. and 3.b.

Paragraph 5 is where I see the most backlash, particularly from the nitpicking class of nations who will say more or less "What! Our entire national industry?!? How dare you presume to etc. etc. harrumph grub grub grub grub!" Adding something like "...in relation to treatment of wetlands" is likely to get at least a few hundred otherwise orc-lemming hybrid votes back on your side, I'd think.

"I would definitely appreciate that, ambassador. I have roughly 10 spare characters, otherwise I would have absolutely qualified on paragraph 5. Regrettably, the only way I feel this will stay narrow enough in focus is to ensure the language is specific enough to only encompass wetlands, and that specific language really adds up..."

[Separatist Peoples]

Paragraph 5 is where I see the most backlash, particularly from the nitpicking class of nations who will say more or less "What! Our entire national industry?!? How dare you presume to etc. etc. harrumph grub grub grub grub!" Adding something like "...in relation to treatment of wetlands" is likely to get at least a few hundred otherwise orc-lemming hybrid votes back on your side, I'd think.

We're not sure exactly what "national industry" in paragraph 5 means. Are you talking about the top industry in each nation? If so, what if it's something that would not encroach on wetlands, such as Information Technology or Pizza Delivery? If not, then it should say "all industry". Therefore....

(Ari points to his assistant, who lets out a loud and proud "HARRRRRUMPH!")

Thank you, Ahume. Other than that--

(Ahume continues with a "Grub grub grub grub....")

THANK you, Wad Ahume. Other than that, none of this seems objectionable to us. Good luck.

"The intention was to have it apply to industry within the nation. Thus national industry. I'm hoping to streamline that language considerably. I hope that appeases Wad Ahume, if only a little."

[Kaboomlandia]

"Was that committee abbreviation intentional, Ambassador Bell?"

- Ambassador Walters

[Sierra Lyricalia]

...I have roughly 10 spare characters, otherwise...

Well, I hope this helps.

Lauding the WA’s vigilance when in protecting internationally-valued natural resources;

Recognizing that the degradation of wetlands has a serious negative impact on transnational migratory species, quality of trans-boundary waters, and a loss of nursery habitat necessary to sustain populations of commercially-fished or harvested species worldwide;

Accepting that wetlands have an astounding capacity unmatched ability to absorb major and potentially catastrophic flooding and cleanse waters of dangerous pollutants;

Realizing that those benefits that wetlands provide at no cost for free are often exorbitant prohibitively expensive to create artificially provide, and have effects that cannot be contained by national boundaries know no borders;

Horrified at the degradation of these wetlands, despite their myriad benefits they offer;

Defining Wwetlands being defined as terrestrial habitats whose biological and physical properties are characterized by the regular saturation of water during the growing season, and show evidence of hydrology, hydric soils, and hydrophytic vegetation;

It is therefore established:

1. Members are strongly urged to utilize developmental strategies and employ strategic-level assessment of their wetland resources to avoid and reduce impact to wetland waterbodies.
   
   
2. The Waterbody Health and Mitigation Organization (WHAMO) shall be established and empowered directed to:
   
   
   1. Collect and disseminate information relevant to wetland study, identification, and protection;
      
      
   2. Issue and enforce best management practices for research and industry impact on wetlands, such as determining jurisdictional determination, public demarcation, impact reduction, and post-construction monitoring;
      
      
   3. Require the purchase of non-transferable mitigation credits, as a form of development tax, by nations for unavoidable permanent impacts caused to a wetland during industrial development, which:
      
      
      1. May be used in lieu of on-site mitigation when all other measures are proven impossible or impractical for a particular given feature, and;
         
         
      2. Shall be equitably priced according to the characteristics of the wetland feature, degree of impact, and viability of alternative methods;
   4. Authorize the granting of mitigation credits to nations which pre-emptively construct wetland banks to offset future wetland loss, and;
      
      
   5. d. Collect and disseminate information relevant to wetland study and protection, and issue grants and loans to non-profit entities making progressive strides in advancing wetland conservation and research.
3. Members are required to utilize at least one of the following mitigation methods for wetland impacts:
   
   
   1. Restoration of a wetland to its pre-construction quality and characteristics;
      
      
   2. ii. Construction of a new wetland of similar characteristics in the vicinity at no less than a 1:1 ratio of area to offset impact;
      
      
   3. Purchase mitigation credits from WHAMO;
4. Members shall utilize mitigation measures for impacted and damaged wetland area at no less than a 1:1 ratio.
   
   
5. Members shall adopt, at minimum, the best management standards issued by WHAMO for their national industry.
   
   
6. Members must require projects to include pre-construction environmental reports detailing the potential impacts to wetlands and all possible impacts, including secondary and cumulative impacts and possible alternatives, including a no-construction alternative, available for review by WHAMO in the event of dispute.
   
   
7. Members are strongly encouraged to incorporate and fund water management programs to assist in the impact mitigation of impacts and maintaining upholding of wetland quality, as well as work with local and non-governmental entities to best meet that end.
   
   
8. Members are permitted to require those private industry entities impacting a wetland to assume the costs, either in part or whole, for the mitigation efforts herein required.

You may not want to cull every last thing I put to the sword there, but that's gotta be a fair few extra words of clarification available. I think we can free up some more letters, especially on the "Recognizing..." preamble clause. But right now it's time for a cold beverage.

Lauding the WA’s vigilance in protecting internationally-valued natural resources;

Recognizing that degradation of wetlands has a serious negative impact on transnational migratory species, quality of trans-boundary waters, and a loss of nursery habitat necessary to sustain populations of commercially-harvested species worldwide;

Accepting that wetlands have unmatched ability to absorb major and potentially catastrophic flooding and cleanse waters of dangerous pollutants;

Realizing those benefits that wetlands provide for free are often exorbitant to create artificially, and have effects that know no borders;

Horrified at the degradation of wetlands, despite their myriad benefits;

Defining wetlands as terrestrial habitats whose biological and physical properties are characterized by regular saturation of water during the growing season, and show evidence of hydrology, hydric soils, and hydrophytic vegetation;

It is therefore established:

1. Members are strongly urged to utilize developmental strategies and employ strategic-level assessment of their wetland resources to avoid and reduce impact to wetland waterbodies.
   
   
2. The Waterbody Health and Mitigation Organization (WHAMO) shall be established and directed to:
   
   
   1. Collect and disseminate information relevant to wetland study, identification, and protection;
      
      
   2. Issue and enforce best management practices for research and industry impact on wetlands, such as determining jurisdiction, public demarcation, impact reduction, and post-construction monitoring;
      
      
   3. Require the purchase of non-transferable mitigation credits, as a form of development tax, by nations for unavoidable permanent impacts caused to a wetland during industrial development, which:
      
      
      1. May be used in lieu of on-site mitigation when all other measures are proven impossible or impractical for a given feature, and;
         
         
      2. Shall be equitably priced according to the characteristics of the wetland feature, degree of impact, and viability of alternative methods;
   4. Authorize the granting of mitigation credits to nations which pre-emptively construct wetland banks to offset future wetland loss, and;
      
      
   5. Collect and disseminate information relevant to wetland study and protection, and issue grants and loans to non-profit entities advancing wetland conservation and research.
3. Members are required to utilize at least one of the following mitigation methods for wetland impacts:
   
   
   1. Restoration of a wetland to its pre-construction quality and characteristics;
      
      
   2. Construction of a new wetland of similar characteristics in the vicinity at no less than a 1:1 ratio of area to offset impact;
      
      
   3. Purchase mitigation credits from WHAMO;
4. Members shall utilize mitigation measures for impacted wetland area at no less than a 1:1 ratio.
   
   
5. Members shall adopt, at minimum, the best management standards issued by WHAMO for their national industry.
   
   
6. Members must require projects to include pre-construction environmental reports detailing potential impacts to wetlands and all possible impacts, including secondary and cumulative impacts and possible alternatives, including a no-construction alternative, available for review by WHAMO in the event of dispute.
   
   
7. Members are strongly encouraged to incorporate and fund water management programs to assist in impact mitigation and upholding of wetland quality, as well as work with local and non-governmental entities to best meet that end.
   
   
8. Members are permitted to require those private entities impacting a wetland to assume the costs, either in part or whole, for mitigation efforts herein required.

[Aistaan]

Point number 3)b) has a (ii) without a (i) Just saying.
Also, can you please make point 8 clearer. I didn't understand it when I read it.

[Sobaira]

Also, can you please make point 8 clearer. I didn't understand it when I read it.

The ambassador from Sobaira spoke up, "Honourable ambassador, if I may be of taking a, so to say, 'crack' at it, I am thinking I can explain 8. more clearly for you." She cleared her throat, and quoted the point in question;

Members are permitted to require those private industry entities impacting a wetland to assume the costs, either in part or whole, for the mitigation efforts herein required.

"The resolution has into it efforts described in 3. and continued upon in later points for mitigating impact of a wetland. However it is of being that these efforts only are of required by the state, not of private entities within it. 8. grants permission to the state to also require private entities to have to perform likewise, choosing methods to mitigate their impact. Without 8. it is of uncertainty if the state can or cannot do this thing, so it is of looking that if the state does not require the private entity to do it, the state is to be having to do it for it. So if the state is of taking advantage of 8. they may be of imposing part or all of the effort onto the private entity instead of on the state. That is, at least, my understanding of it. Thank you for your time, honourable ambassador."

[Aistaan]

I see. Tell me if I interpret correctly, that this clause works on the corporations (businesses) aspect of responsibility towards the degradation of wetlands.

[Sobaira]

I see. Tell me if I interpret correctly, that this clause works on the corporations (businesses) aspect of responsibility towards the degradation of wetlands.

The ambassador from Sobaira spoke up again, "Honourable ambassador, under the current draft, I am of believing you are right. However, the honourable ambassador from Sierra Lyricalia has made suggestions that would be of permitting this to be applied to any non-state entity. However, it is of reading this that such can be done already as it were not being denied them, instead just reminded for others that option. I may, however, be misled on this as well. Er," she scratched behind her head, "Perhaps it would be of good ideas if I just let the honourable legislator answer the question at this point. Thank you very much for your time, honourable ambassador."

[Separatist Peoples]

I see. Tell me if I interpret correctly, that this clause works on the corporations (businesses) aspect of responsibility towards the degradation of wetlands.

"It includes both private as public development. That way socialized business is held to the same standard, preventing unfair practices."

[Imperium Anglorum]

Parsons's Office, Foreign Office, Greyhall

In a well lit marble columned silent reading room, a hurried-looking manservant whisks his way in. Amid the orange-ish marble columns, under their long series of cast-iron electric lamps, there is a middle-aged man in red robes, tab collars, and interestingly, a sword, clad in a scabbard laced with violet felt, dangling from a sash.

Hurrying past others in similar uniform as well as the suited men and women silently passing by on their way to destinations unknown, the manservant goes up to one of the men, under an identical cast-iron lamp and silently pacing over the heavy carpet, hands a small slip of pink paper with a short typewritten message on it.

PARSONS STOP. RETURN IMMEDIATELY STOP. PEARSON BACK? STOP

The manservant whispers into his ear, in hushed but hurried tones, 'Your Grace, anything to do on the matter?'. Parsons responds, 'Now, now, let's not make a fuss of it. Get me the World Assembly bulletin and my staff here at Greyhall. Meet, say,' looking at the clock, which reads an early half-past eight, 'Fifteen after. And, boy, get me something to drink. Milk and sugar if you would please. I may need it today'. Responding, 'Yes, Your Grace', the disturbance in the silent room disappeared.

At the chimes of fifteen past nine, Parsons stepped into his office at Greyhall. Passing the majestic columns originally intended for the Foreign Secretary some three hundred years past, he spoke immediately to his secretary. 'Margaret. You have the WA bulletin?'. Briskly, a response, 'Yes, Your Grace. It came over the wire just a few minutes ago. Teletyped. It and an executive summary are on your desk now'. Responding curtly with a 'Thank you, Margaret', Parsons leapt down the columned hall into his office. Seeing his arrival, two Royal guardsmen opened the mahogany double doors to the expansive space.

Inside was waiting three of his professional advisors and Deputy Ambassador Cadogan, for whom Parsons had done a great favour in keeping around in the loop of foreign affairs after his retirement to the Anglican Development Bank (and ennobled to boot). He asked, 'So, my Lords. What's going on?'. Cadogan answered first, saying quite dismissively, 'Well. It isn't Pearson. Instead, it's Bell. Nobody much expected him to be doing environmental legislation though'.

Joining in, others commented on the proposed committee's policies until Parsons looked at the paper and said, 'Whamo? What a horrid name. It's like those bloody towels they keep trying to sell on foreign television'. After some discussion, one of the others, Lord Robertson (a friend of Parsons on the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council), said 'Tax? Isn't that illegal?'. Parsons, joining in, remarked, 'Yes, but I'm sure someone will conjure up some bollocks on why it isn't'. Then, reading through, Robertson asked, 'Who defines the extent of this "remediation"? Who defined these terms?'.

Parsons, shaking his head, dismissed them all with a friendly, 'Thank you for your help' and then ringed Margaret to get a line open to Bell immediately. Thinking, 'hopefully this has nothing to do with those bottles of champagne we gave him', and dreading the end of a series of successful and professional resolutions, the phone rang and rang, its metallic shrill interrupting offices a world over.

[Separatist Peoples]

Bumpity

[Wallenburg]

"Ambassador, what of nations whose territories consist mostly or entirely of wetlands? Surely they should not be punished for simply building to meet the most basic needs of their people."

[Separatist Peoples]

"Ambassador, what of nations whose territories consist mostly or entirely of wetlands? Surely they should not be punished for simply building to meet the most basic needs of their people."

"They will have to find a way to mitigate for the quality of the affected wetlands. Frankly, buildin major metropolises in swamps is nearly impossible, and unless they are a species that lives in semi-aquatic conditions, this will be the least of their worries. With this, one can still build in wetlands. They can either offset the cost with credit purchases, or rebuild new wetlands. However, since WHAMO is setting the cost based in factors such as amount of impact, the actual credit cost will be negligible, because the impact on a small portion of a comparatively massive wetland complex will be appropriately negligible. Less so if that society has worked out how to incorporate wetlands into their city designs, as you see in many stilted buildings."

[Separatist Peoples]

"So, this isn't getting a lot of feedback. That leaves me with two distinct impressions: either this is ready for submission, or it ought be abandoned."

[Tinfect]

"The Imperium fails to see how this is an International Issue, and given that it places extreme, and, in the opinion of the Imperium, absolutely insane, regulation on Imperial development of such areas, we cannot support it."

[Separatist Peoples]

"The Imperium fails to see how this is an International Issue, and given that it places extreme, and, in the opinion of the Imperium, absolutely insane, regulation on Imperial development of such areas, we cannot support it."

"Because, for those of us who have to share a planet, wetlands are a critical resource for water quality and rare migratory species, which cross borders with alarming regularity. Those resources are shared internationally, and their protection is an international concern."

OOC: it's also the standard for wetland mitigation services, at least in the US.

[Tinfect]

"Because, for those of us who have to share a planet, wetlands are a critical resource for water quality and rare migratory species, which cross borders with alarming regularity. Those resources are shared internationally, and their protection is an international concern."

"Fair enough.
However, for nations such as the Imperium, for which Colonization of a world often includes large-scale terraforming, this legislation would make such things extremely difficult, if the world in question is prone to large amounts of wetland."

OOC: it's also the standard for wetland mitigation services, at least in the US.

OOC:
And from an OOC standpoint, I'd support the hell out of this, but the Imperium isn't much pleased with being told how to deal with its own territory.

[Separatist Peoples]

"Because, for those of us who have to share a planet, wetlands are a critical resource for water quality and rare migratory species, which cross borders with alarming regularity. Those resources are shared internationally, and their protection is an international concern."

"Fair enough.
However, for nations such as the Imperium, for which Colonization of a world often includes large-scale terraforming, this legislation would make such things extremely difficult, if the world in question is prone to large amounts of wetland."

OOC: it's also the standard for wetland mitigation services, at least in the US.

OOC:
And from an OOC standpoint, I'd support the hell out of this, but the Imperium isn't much pleased with being told how to deal with its own territory.

OOC: I totally get it. I have the same problem with most environmental proposals.

IC: "WHAMO, which will be requiring either mitigation credits or mitigation efforts, is tasked to work with nations to ensure equitable pricing and application of requirements. If you are terraforming a world and destroy all the wetlands, that is going to have a significant ecological impact and would need to be addressed, but if you are, say, working on a world that is primarily swamp, or has massive tracts of wetland, the impact you make on a specific site, even something as large as a city, will be comparatively minor. As such, those credits would be priced comparatively inexpensively. In the C.D.S.P., where wetlands are not widespread, destroying, say, an acre of wetland to build a road might cause a wetland credit to cost G$40,000/acre. To destroy an acre of wetland in the middle of Dagobah, it would probably be equitable to price it at G$0.03/acre, as the impact is significantly less. Please note that these numbers are entirely theoretical, and merely included to point out the equitable requirement in pricing that WHAMO is tasked with."

[Araraukar]

"However, for nations such as the Imperium, for which Colonization of a world often includes large-scale terraforming, this legislation would make such things extremely difficult, if the world in question is prone to large amounts of wetland."

"If you are terraforming a world and destroy all the wetlands, that is going to have a significant ecological impact and would need to be addressed, but if you are, say, working on a world that is primarily swamp, or has massive tracts of wetland, the impact you make on a specific site, even something as large as a city, will be comparatively minor."

I fear you may not be thinking large enough - if they need to, for example, completely change the atmospheric gas content during the terraforming process, say, purge CO₂ and free more O₂ to make the planet habitable, they might destroy the entire wetlands (OOC: and possibly planetary) ecosystem, but then replace it with a different one. The proposal text as it now is, makes that punitively expensive.

Unless, of course, you're merely seeking to protect the wetland system itself, in which case a nation could, say, eradicate a poisonous plant species if they replaced it with another that worked fairly similarly in the ecosystem. And do the same with animal species - especially if any of either type are invasive species rather than domestic. That way you could still manage the wetland ecosystem while still keeping some kind of wetland ecosystem working. Species come and go naturally anyway, just over much longer timescales.

...and now you'll have to excuse me while I go find out what Neville poisoned me with, last time I was at the Bar. I wouldn't normally be so understanding of any sort of anti-environmentalist stance...