Environmental Law Institute - National Wetlands Awards

For over 40 years, South Dakota State University Distinguished Professor of Ecology Dr. W. Carter Johnson has been a major contributor to wetland science. This includes significant contributions to the understanding and management of riparian and prairie pothole wetlands. Carter’s papers on riparian wetlands in the Platte, Missouri, and Snake rivers have been influential in the conservation and restoration of those wetlands, winning him prestigious awards from two scientific societies. Carter is also considered one of the world’s leading authorities on the impacts of global climate change on prairie pothole wetlands, and his work has become central to federal and state wildlife agency discussions regarding policy and management responses to the threat of climate change on these wetlands. In recent years, Carter has used his understanding of wetlands systems to, among other things, establish a non-profit organization, EcoSun Prairie Farms, that is focused on demonstrating how restored prairie wetlands can provide not only environmental, but also economic benefits. Carter has published approximately 125 peer reviewed articles, books, and book chapters, and was appointed to four National Research Council panels from 1999-2010.