FL Water Protection: Proposed Rule Would Close Gap
Posted March 27, 2014 09:59 am
TALLAHASSEE,
FL - For more than a decade, 20 million wetland acres
and 2 million miles of streams - including many in
Florida - were left unprotected, despite the federal
Clean Water Act.
Experts say the gap in coverage was the unintended result of two U.S. Supreme Court decisions.
This week, the Obama administration proposed a new rule to clarify which types of water have Clean Water Act protection, which will be helpful to Florida wetlands, streams and freshwater springs, according to Jan Goldman-Carter, senior manager of wetlands and water resources for the National Wildlife Federation.
Waters of the United States Proposed Rule
Clarifying protection under the
Clean Water Act for streams and wetlands that form the
foundation of the nation's water resources.
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Read the press release
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Read the proposed rule
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Access all documents related to this rulemaking
"There will be no question that those waters are
covered by the Clean Water Act," she said. "And that in
turn helps bolster the state-level protections for those
waters, because the federal and state protections for
water quality are closely intertwined."
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the
rate of wetlands loss accelerated by 140 percent from
2004 to 2009, the years immediately following the
Supreme Court rulings.
A public comment period is expected to begin in a few
weeks on the proposed rule.
Manley Fuller, president and CEO of the Florida Wildlife
Federation, said the 2001 and 2006 Supreme Court
decisions have confused and limited the scope of the
Clean Water Act - making it much more difficult to
maintain and restore the state's streams, headwaters and
freshwater wetlands.
"Wetlands are extremely important to fish and wildlife
and outdoor recreation," he stressed. "So we think that
this rule, when implemented, will help clarify what is a
wetland and what is not a wetland."
There are more than 50,000 miles of rivers and streams
in Florida, in addition to many high-quality springs
that circulate millions of gallons of pure water daily.
According to the Outdoor Industry Association, outdoor
recreation generates $38 billion annually and more than
half of the state's residents participate in some
outdoor activity each year.
Photos/graphics, layout added by the Observer
Photo: e-zamora-photo