50,000 People Sign "We Are Wetlands" Petition

January 12, 2008

News for Immediate Release

Contact: Geoff Mullins, gmullins@trcp.org, 202.654.4609

50,000 People Sign “We Are Wetlands”Petition

Push for stronger new clean water protections enters homestretch

WASHINGTON – The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) today announced that its “We Are Wetlands” petition drive has reached 50,000 signatures, illustrating the deep desire of the American public to see Congress pass strong new clean water protections.

The TRCP initiated the petition drive in April 2008 with a goal of adding 80,000 names – one for each acre of natural wetlands that our country loses each year – to the call for legislation that restores the integrity of the Clean Water Act.

“At a time when a series of Supreme Court decisions and subsequent rule makings have dramatically weakened the Clean Water Act,” said TRCP Initiative Manager Geoff Mullins, “we need our leaders to take decisive actions to restore its original scope. Nothing short of a critical resource for millions of waterfowl and countless aquatic species hangs in the balance.”

“ America’s hunters and anglers know full well the importance of wetlands to the resources they revere,” said TRCP President and CEO George Cooper. “Five to 7 million waterfowl annually use wetlands as feeding and resting areas, and 9 of every 10fish caught recreationally depend on wetlands at some point in their lives. Put simply, it’s impossible to overstate the value of wetlands to our nation’s fish and wildlife – and the American sportsman.”

“In addition to their importance to sportsmen, it must be understood that wetlands matter to everyone because they are nature’s water filters,” said Tom Franklin, TRCP senior vice president. “As our population grows, preserving our natural wetlands means preserving clean drinking water supplies for all Americans.”

To sign the “We Are Wetlands” petition, please visit www.wearewetlands.org.

Inspired by the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, the TRCP is a coalition of organizations and grassroots partners working together to preserve the traditions of hunting and fishing.