|
Good
news! On April 2, Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold reintroduced the Clean
Water Restoration Act (CWRA - S. 787). The bill aims to restore the
protections to isolated wetlands and headwater streams that have been
reduced as a result of two recent Supreme Court cases. We expect the bill
will also be reintroduced in the House of Representatives very soon.
Most, but
not all, of Wisconsin's Representatives
pledged their support to the bill in 2008 (see sidebar), but we'd like to
see unanimous support from Wisconsin's
delegation. Please contact your representative during the in-district work
period (between now and April 17) to encourage their support for the 2009
version of this important bill. Read on for more details.
|
Senator
Feingold's CWRA Press Release
|
|
|
|
 Senator Russ
Feingold had this to say in his press release
announcing the introduction of the 2009 Clean Water Restoration act:
"The
choice before us today is simple but urgent: If you support the Clean
Water Act, you must also support this bill to restore the protections of
the Clean Water Act. Every day Congress fails to reaffirm Clean Water Act
protections, more and more waters are stripped of their protections,
jeopardizing the drinking water of millions of Americans, as well as our
nation's wildlife habitats, recreational pursuits, agricultural and
industrial uses, and public health. I am pleased the bill has such broad
support from governors, attorneys general, farming groups, outdoor
recreation groups and others who recognize the great danger of leaving
our waters and wetlands unprotected."
|
|
Talking Points
and Other Resources
|
|
|
|
 If you live in
the district of a legislator who has not yet pledged support to the CWRA
(see story at right), we urge you to contact them between now and April
17th. If you choose to do so, please point out:
- The CWRA will restore protections to waterways
that contribute to drinking water supplies relied on by more than
110 million Americans.
- The CWRA will re-establish critical protections
for 20% of all wetlands and nearly 50% of all stream miles in the
lower 48 states.
- By clarifying the scope of protected waters,
the CWRA will eliminate the regulatory confusion and costly permit
delays created by the recent Supreme Court decisions. In Wisconsin,
this clarification should help, not hinder, business and economic
development.
- More than 500 organizations - representing the
conservation community, family farmers, fishers, surfers, boaters,
faith communities, environmental justice advocates, labor unions, and
civic associations - support the bill.
More details about each of the above
points can be found in fact
sheets provided by the Clean Water Network, and in the WWA article Does
Wisconsin Need Federal Protection for Isolated Wetlands?. The
article explains why the lack of Federal protections for isolated
wetlands makes it more difficult to implement and enforce wetland
regulations in Wisconsin and cites numerous examples of how other states'
failures to protect wetlands along the Mississippi River Flyway and
throughout the Great Lakes Basin at the state level results in impacts to
wetlands, waterways and wildlife in Wisconsin.
Photo: Dean Dimitri Krapf
|
|
|
Call or
Write Your Representatives
|
|
|
|
On April 2nd, Wisconsin Senator Russ
Feingold introduced the CWRA in the Senate. Senator Herb Kohl
has signed on as a co-sponsor. In 2008, Representatives Tammy Baldwin,
Steve Kagen, Ron Kind, and Gwen Moore all co-sponsored the
House version of the bill and all are likely to support it again this
year. However, they will be under intense pressure to change or modify
their positions. If you live in one of these legislators' districts please
contact them to thank them for their leadership and support.
To our knowledge, Representatives
Obey, Petri, Ryan, and Sensenbrenner did not co-sponsor the
bill last year, and may still be undecided as to how they will vote if it
comes to the floor. Representative Petri plays a particularly key role as
a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee
(where the bill will first be heard). If you live in one of these
legislators' districts, please contact them at their Wisconsin
offices between now and April 17th to encourage their support.
Contact information for your
Representatives' Wisconsin office can be found by clicking here.
Additional information about the CWRA is provided at left.
Photo: Creative Commons
|
|
