__An area of environmental regulation that illustrates a nearly complete reversal of the public perspective on natural resources is wetlands protection.  Not that long ago, wetlands were often called swamps and derided as mosquito breeding grounds.  Permits were issued to fill wetlands, with some government entities going so far as to seek to fill some of these low-lying areas with landfills.  Now, wetlands are considered valuable and are almost universally protected.

In Michigan and some other states, sand dunes are also protected in some locations where residential development or other historically accepted uses such as sand and gravel mining are strictly regulated or prohibited.

Waterfront property owners obtain certain rights commonly referred to as riparian (on inland lakes and streams) or littoral (on the Great Lakes) rights.  These water rights may enable owners of waterfront property to control or prohibit actions by others on their property or on and in the waters adjacent to the land they own.  With over 3,000 miles of Great Lakes shoreline and abundant inland lakes, rivers and streams, Michigan has a well-developed body of common law regarding such issues.  As the population grows and more vacation homes become year-round residences, many of these issues develop into litigation as neighbor disagreements boil over.

State and federal environmental agencies regulate many aspects of the ownership, use, extraction, mining, development or other actions impacting most if not all natural resources.  Local governments may also regulate activities under zoning, land use or other authorities.