¹ There is no agreed-on definition of “middle age,” and in fact the U.S. Census Bureau has moved away from using that term. See U.S. Census Bureau, Age and Sex Composition: 2010, 2010 Census Brief, http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-03.pdf. But many would agree that those over the age of 40 are in the middle-age range. See, e.g., middleage.org, Definition—When or What Is Middle Age?, http://www.middleage.org/definition.shtml.

² Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Feb. 2, 1971), T.I.A.S. No. 1084, 996 U.N.T.S. 245 (amended 1982 & 1987) [hereinafter Ramsar Convention]. A current copy of the Ramsar Convention text can be found at http://www.ramsar.org/cda/en/ramsar-documents-texts/main/ramsar/l-31-38_4000_0__.

³ See generally www.ramsar.org.

⁴ Ramsar Convention art. 1. This is much more broad than the definitions of wetlands used under U.S. regulations and guidance. See generally U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/guidance/wet-lands/definitions.cfm.

⁵ G.V.T. Matthews, The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands: Its History and Development (1993) (recounting that “[i]t took just over eight years of conferences, technical meetings and behind the scenes discussions to develop a convention text”), available at http://www.ramsar.org/cda/en/ramsar-pubs-books-ramsar-convention-on-21313/main/ramsar/l-30-101%5E21313_4000_0__.

⁶ The Convention’s short form is not an acronym, but rather signifies name of the town (Ramsar, Iran) where it was originally signed.

⁷ The original 1971 version of the Convention can be found at http://www.ramsar.org/cda/en/ramsar-documents-cops-1971-final-act-of-the/main/ramsar/l-31-58-136%5E20803_4000_0__.

⁸ By its terms, the Ramsar Convention was to enter into force four months after seven parties had ratified it. Ramsar Convention, supra note 2, art. 10. For a current introduction to the history of the Convention, see A Brief History of the Ramsar Convention, http://www.ramsar.org/cda/en/ramsar-about-history/main/ramsar/l-36-62_4000_0__. The United States became a party in 1987 during the Reagan administration. See Contracting Parties in Order of their Accession, http://www.ramsar.org/cda/en/ramsar-about-parties-parties-in-order/main/ramsar/l-36-123%5E20715_4000_0__.

⁹ Matthews, supra note 5.

¹⁰ For a superb overview of the Convention, including its history and modern implementation, see The Ramsar Convention Manual: A Guide to the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran, 1971) (6th ed. 2013), available at http://www.ramsar.org/pdf/lib/manua16-2013-e.pdf [hereinafter Ramsar Manual].

¹¹ The actual language of the incorporated amendments can be found at the official documents site: http://www.ramsar.org/cda/en/ramsar-documents-texts/main/ramsar/1-31-38_4000_0__.

¹² Guidelines adopted by the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, http://www.ramsar.org/key_guidelines_index.htm. This website provides links to various guidance documents officially adopted during meetings of the Conference of the Contracting Parties.

¹³ The Ramsar Strategic Plan 2009–2015 as adopted by Resolution X.l (2008) and adjusted for the 2013–2015 triennium by Resolution XI.3 (2012), http://www.ramsar.org/pdf/strat-plan-2009-e-adj.pdf.

¹⁴ See generally Basic Information on Secretariats of? Multilateral Environmental Agreements, Mission, Structure, Financing and Governance, http://www.un.org/ga/president/60/summitfollowup/060612d.pdf.

¹⁵ See The Ramsar Secretariat, http://www.ramsar.org/cda/en/ramsar-about-bodies-secr/main/ramsar/l-36-71-77_4000_0__.

¹⁶ See The Standing Committee, http://www.ramsar.org/cda/en/ramsar-about-bodies-standing/main/ramsar/l-36-71-73_4000_0__.

¹⁷ See The Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP): Ramsar’s Scientific Subsidiary Body, http://www.ramsar-.org/cda/en/ramsar-about-bodies-strp/main/ramsar/l-36-71-74_4000_0__.

¹⁸ See Ramsar Resolution 5.6: The Wise Use of Wetlands, Annex A, http://www.ramsar.org/cda/en/ramsar-documents-resol-resolution-ix-1-annex-a/main/ramsar/1-31-107%5E23536_4000_0__ (suggesting that establishment of national wetland committees can assist with meeting “wise use” obligations).

¹⁹ See National Ramsar Committees, http://www.ramsar.org/cda/en/ramsar-activities-nationalramsarcommittees/main/ramsar/l-63-516_4000_0__.

²⁰ See Information Sheet on Ramsar Wetlands (RIS), http://www.ramsar.org/cda/en/ramsar-documents-info-information-sheet-on/main/ramsar/1-31-59%5E21253_4000_0__. A new process for completing and updating future RISs was approved in 2012. Resolution XI.8: Streamlining Procedures for Describing Ramsar Sites at the Time of Designation and Subsequent Updates, http://www.ramsar.org/pdf/copll/res/copll-res08-e.pdf.

²¹ The current list of sites is maintained by the NGO partner Wetlands International, http://ramsar.wetlands.org/.

²² Ramsar Convention, supra note 2, art. 3.1.

²³ Id. art. 2.3.

²⁴ See Ramsar Manual, supra note 10, at 47.

²⁵ Id.; see generally What Is the “Wise Use” of Wetlands?, http://www.ramsar.org/cda/en/ramsar-about-faqs-what-is-wise-use/main/ramsar/l-36-37%5E7724_4000_0__.

²⁶ Related instruments and organizations include the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD); The Convention on Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS); The UNESCO World Heritage Convention; the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD); the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); UNEP’s Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region and other regional conventions; UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme; the Global Terrestrial Observing System (GTOS); and others. See Memoranda of Understanding and Cooperation with Other Conventions and International Organiza tions, http://www.ramsar.Org/cda/en/ramsar-documents-mous/main/ramsar/1-31-115_4000_0__.

²⁷ ASIL, http://www.asil.org/am13/.

²⁸ Framework conventions, which leave treaty details for later negotiations, are deemed to be most common in environmental law. Matz-Lück, Nele, Framework Conventions as Regulatory Tools, 1 Goettingen J. Int’l L. 439 (2009)Google Scholar.

²⁹ Gardner, Royal C. & Connolly, Kim Diana, The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands: Assessment of International Designations Within the United States, 37 Envtl. L. Rep. 10089 (2007)Google Scholar; Gardner, Royal C., Connolly, Kim Diana & Bamba, Abou, African Wetlands of International Importance: Assessment of Benefits Associated with Designations Under the Ramsar Convention, 23 Geo. Int’l Envtl. L. Rev. 257 (2008)Google Scholar.

³⁰ Resolution XI.14: Climate Change and Wetlands: Implications for the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, http://www.ramsar.org/pdf/cop11/res/cop11-res14-e.pdf.

³¹ The 11th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties, http://www.ramsar.org/cda/en/ramsar-documents-cops-cop11-cop11-proceedings/main/ramsar/1-31-58-500%5E25863_4000_0__.