INTRODUCTION Vileisis (1997, xii) prefaces her highly regarded work on American wetlands by pointing out that, "we must know not only the science that proves [wetland] values but also the society that struggles to accommodate those values amid myriad pressing others." Wetlands, like other complex ecosystems, are influenced by interacting geophysical, chemical, biological, and human systems. While society seems to increasingly value wetland services such as water quality improvement, flood control, wildlife habitat, and recreation, individual owners of wetlands are often unable to profit from their wetlands' provision of such public goods (Heimlich et al. 1998). As a result, there is often a tension between public and private interests in wetland protection. Therefore, policymakers and others interested in resolving such a tension and crafting improved public policy need to better understand what matters to people about wetlands and the services they provide (Scodari 1997). A better understanding of what matters to the public about wetlands may help in the design of policies and education efforts that are more effective and better supported by the public.
