EPA Proposes Looser Wetland Protection

November 18, 2025

Following years of partisan argument, the Environmental Protection Agency has announced plans to modify the “Waters of the United States” rule, which underpins protection under the Clean Water Act of many of the nation’s wetlands, ABC News reports. In Issues, Charles N. Herrick traces the contentious history of wetland protection, worrying that wetlands’ fate is too often exposed to “changing political winds.” He proposes instead a set of policies and practices that should be “stitched into the fabric” of wetland management to safeguard these valuable resources while addressing the needs of a diverse array of public and private stakeholders.

Posted by Tom Burroughs