WetlandsRecent years have seen the Supreme Court hand down a series of decisions that have weakened the strength of our national wetlands protections. Isolated wetlands, those not directly connected to another body of water, have been placed in particularly acute jeopardy. In the wake of the Court’s most recent action, our wetlands protections are now so murky that Chief Justice John Roberts was compelled to comment, “It is unfortunate that no opinion commands a majority of the Court on precisely how to read Congress’ limits on the reach of the Clean Water Act. Lower courts and regulated entities will now have to feel their way on a case-by-case basis.” Understanding the importance of the resources that hang in the balance and the need for their clear legal protection, the TRCP has convened a panel of experts to define a path forward for our national wetlands protection laws. This panel has developed a set of consensus core principles upon which the community of conservationists can and will build in the coming year.  Legislative Update Legislation seeking to bring clarity to the definition of wetlands and their protection has been introduced in both the House and Senate. Both known as the ‘Clean Water Restoration Act of 2007’, the House bill (H.R. 2421) was introduced on May 22nd and the Senate bill (S. 1870) was introduced on July 25th. TRCP and our coalition members continue to monitor the progress of these bills and work with Congressional leaders and staff to provide them with expert research and scientific data on wetlands and their impact on fish and wildlife. To see the text of each bill, please click here: H.R. 2421 and S. 1870
Wetlands Conservation in the Farm Bill
The Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) is the largest federal wetland restoration program in the country. Since 1990, WRP has restored more than 2 million acres of wetlands on marginal farmland, providing critical habitat for many wetland-dependent species. It is integral in helping offset the 80,000 acres of wetlands that continue to be lost in the U.S. each year. Despite the programs importance and popularity, WRP is in real danger of being eliminated. This program does not have baseline funding once the old Farm Bill expires, so new money must be found to renew it in the 2007 Farm Bill. Fortunately, the recently-passed, House version of the Farm Bill did include new money for WRP and renews this valuable program at 3.6 million acres. The debate now moves to the Senate where we must make sure funding for WRP is included in their version of the bill. To see more information on the 2007 Farm Bill, please click here.
For more information on the Farm Bill, please contact:
Geoff Mullins , Initiative Manager
Terry Riley, Vice President of Policy
Jim Klatt, Great Lakes Field Representative |