This webinar aired on October 19, 2023 as the third installment of Esri's Environmental Regulation webinar series.

Updated on 2/17/2020:  On January 23, 2020, the new WOTUS rules went into effect, limiting federal jurisdiction to wetlands that are connected via surface water, excluding ephemeral streams and isolated wetlands. With this new  ruling, the US loses nearly 18% of its stream protections and as much as 50% of wetland protections. States like Nevada and Arizona lose upward of 85% of their water protections. Again, the question stands: if the impetus for this rule change is to save money and time on regulations, why is no one talking about technology?

Updated on 10/02/2019:  On September 12, 2019, the US Environmental Protection Agency finalized its repeal of a 2015 Obama Rule for jurisdictional WOTUS by the federal government.  This change will largely impact the 22 states where the Obama Rule has been in effect.  This decision will create nationwide regulatory confusion and lawsuits.  I will continue to stay abreast of the details and provide relevant updates on new publications.

As the Chief Scientific Officer of Ecobot, it is crucial that I address the pending changes to the rules of implementation of the Clean Water Act proposed by the current administration.  While all regulations must be occasionally looked at in order to evolve with the times, the proposed changes, if implemented, would be a great tragedy to the both the environment and the economy of the United States.  The proposed changes to the protection of “the Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) would be a major backward step in responsible progress of our country and the world at large.

Water demands my presence. 

I cannot go anyplace where some water feature does not speak to me in some fashion or another. 

The sound of the sea on a sandy beach at sunset is rich with longing and a sense of timelessness. 

The gentle waves of a lake shoreline beckon to the dreamer in my heart and mind. 

Roaring waterfalls beg to be allowed to pound on my head and shoulders, or to sing me to sleep. 

Salt marshes beckon to the anxious spirit through a languid breeze - tossing the slender necks of miles of graminoids basking in the full sun. 

Backwater swamps wait patiently for the canoe, while headwaters forested wetlands and seeps sing with seasonal abundance to the bold, adventurous, and imaginative.

I have just returned with my team from conducting wetlands monitoring in the field in Scandinavia. Since 2005, I have been part of a team of scientists and citizens monitoring changes in population demographics of vascular species in Lapland. Lapland is the home of the Sámi people, the indigenous reindeer herders of northern Scandinavia and Russia in the Arctic Circle, and is also considered to be the cleanest environment on Earth. Our monitoring project has been based in Rovaniemi, Finland, and spans into Norway and Sweden.

"Intent reveals desire; action reveals commitment."
~ Steve Maraboli