<
https://www.trcp.org/2023/01/04/epa-restores-clean-water-act-protections-streams-wetlands/>
"Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency finalized a new rule that
formally restores federal Clean Water Act protections for streams and wetlands
that sustain fish and wildlife and hunting and fishing opportunities.
The new rule will replace the previous administration’s Navigable Waters
Protection Rule, which significantly narrowed Clean Water Act protections for
intermittent headwater streams and non-floodplain wetlands like prairie
potholes. The new rule also largely restores Clean Water Act protections that
had been in place since 1986, but with important changes to reflect recent
federal court decisions, an extensive scientific record, and a robust public
stakeholder engagement process.
This most recent clean water rule includes several provisions that reflect
comments submitted by the TRCP and partners on behalf of hunters and anglers
requesting stronger federal protections for headwater streams and wetlands. A
2018 national poll carried out by TRCP confirmed that a significant majority of
sportsmen and sportswomen support both the Clean Water Act and strong
protections for streams and wetlands.
The benefits of clean, productive wetlands and headwater streams are clear to
hunters and anglers. Wetlands—including non-floodplain wetlands like prairie
potholes and mountain wet meadow complexes—provide critical migratory and
nesting habitats for waterfowl while filtering pollutants, enhancing natural
water retention, and promoting resilience to drought. Headwater streams provide
nursery habitats for salmon and regulate stream temperatures for coldwater
trout fisheries.
The new rule reflects the importance of these aquatic ecosystems by reinstating
federal protections for headwater streams and non-floodplain wetlands that
significantly affect downstream waters."
Via
Future Crunch:
<
https://futurecrunch.com/good-news-tropical-diseases-womens-china-miyawaki-amazon/>
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
