Gov. J.B. Pritzker, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Illinois Legislature must act immediately to protect wetlands following the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling rolling back decades of protection for clean water, habitats, and public health.
In 2019, the Trump administration dealt a critical blow to conservation efforts across the country by redefining “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) within the Clean Waters Act, effectively cutting EPA’s jurisdiction to regulate a substantial amount of waterways and over half the nation’s wetlands. This move was recognized as a piece of the administration’s larger attack on preexisting policies, including much-needed environmental protections.
