Critical Waterfowl Nesting Habitat Threatened!Please Read

[bcbeakbuster]

The EPA has issued an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on defining "waters of the United States" and their protection under the Clean Water Act. Under the current definition, as stated by the Supreme Court after the case of the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County VS the US Army Corps of Engineers, all geographically isolated wetlands, which to my understanding includes all of the temporary basins in the Dakota's which are critical to nesting success in the prairie pothole region, have lost Clean Water Act protection. This leaves the Swampbuster provision of the Farm Bill as the last line of defense on agricultural land, and removes all protection of these wetlands on non-ag land. Some biologists estimate that nearly half of prairie pothole duck production takes place in these small, sometimes temporary basins! To find out more about the consequences of this decision, go to http://www.aswm.org/wbn/archive/03/030228a.htm and read an excellent article about it. The public comment period on this notice of proposed rulemaking ends on April 16th, so if you feel that these wetlands need to be protected, please go to http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/swanccnav.html and post your comments under the E-docket link telling the EPA that you support protecting these wetlands to benefit nesting waterfowl, for water quality, and for flood control. I am still in the process of researching this, so if you have questions, post them up and I will try to find the answer for you.
Marty Schaefer
NW Iowa Director
Waterfowl Association of Iowa

[GulfCoast]

You got it.