On Monday 6/19, White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory spoke at the NAWM Annual Conference, urging states to compensate for the lack of federal wetland protections. Even before Sackett v. EPA, nationwide wetland losses have increased by 50%, amounting to a loss of 670,000 acres of vegetated wetlands.
The Biden administration aims to overcome some of these gaps. Current initiatives include:
- A goal to restore and reconnect 8 million acres of wetlands and 100,000 miles of streams and waters.
- A plan by US Army Corps of Engineers to use compensatory mitigation to offset losses of aquatic resources and wetlands.
Mallory was clear that these federal efforts won’t bridge the gap sufficiently, and that additional efforts, including better public education on the status and importance of wetlands; collective cooperation between states, Tribes, local and global entities, and both the private and public sector; and an eye for innovative solutions.
Learn more: Sackett v. EPA, One Year Later
