Key Water Rules Under Legal Threat
April 13, 2023
A judge has partially blocked a federal rule that defines which “waters of the United States” are protected by the Clean Water Act, while the Biden administration sees the rule as critical for protecting thousands of wetlands nationwide. In Issues, Charles N. Herrick worries about such conflicts. “The enduring health and vitality of the public’s wetland resources should not be subject to the whims, ideological caprice, or stakeholder relationships that influence the actions of US presidents,” Herrick writes. He goes on to identify key policy aspects that should be “stitched into the fabric” of wetland management and protection.