Guest commentary: Change would remove wetland protections
Last December, 312 of you joined the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) in sending comments to the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to oppose its proposed rule to strip protections from millions of acres of wetlands. This month, the EPA released an updated rule that proposes even more damaging changes than those that were issued last year and leaves additional wetlands and streams vulnerable to pollution and rampant development.
The changes propose an even narrower definition of “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act and rely on an oversimplified interpretation of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the Sackett case. The EPA updates call for protections for wetlands that only flow all year long or are permanently flooded. This proposal ignores functioning seasonal wetlands — intermittent streams and lands inundated or saturated by groundwater. The proposed rule ignores what the best available science tells us about the complex interplay between groundwater and surface waters and the ecosystems that rely on both.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
As a low-lying coastal community, we are uniquely reliant on our wetlands and the benefits they provide to both our natural and built environments. Any additional loss of wetlands will have an outsized impact because these valuable natural systems provide storm protection, water filtration and wildlife habitat. Our wetland resources provide a massive contribution to Lee County’s $3.5 billion tourism revenue, which supports one out of every five jobs. Erosion of these resources puts all of that at risk.
Please join the SCCF and submit your comments to the EPA by Oct. 9 — letting it know that by removing protections to our remaining wetlands, we put Lee County’s residents, wildlife and economy in harm’s way.
To leave your comments opposing any changes to wetland protections, visit https://sccf.quorum.us/campaign/169957/.
Holly Schwartz is policy associate for the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF). Founded in 1967, the SCCF’s mission is to protect and care for Southwest Florida’s coastal ecosystems. For more information, visit sccf.org.