Our wetlands were already in crisis. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that 221 million acres were lost and destroyed in the last decade alone.
Then last year, the Supreme Court made the situation even worse by stepping in and taking away protections for over 50% of our wetlands in the case Sackett v. EPA.
Now the situation is dire. Experts warn that without these protections, the pace of wetland destruction will only accelerate, jeopardizing entire ecosystems and the biodiversity that rely on them to survive.
Our wetlands (a.k.a. bogs, marshes, swamps, or bayous) are home to a rich tapestry of biodiversity, serving as habitats for numerous species including birds, fish, amphibians, and many unique plants. They also support complex food webs necessary for the survival of these species, serving as “transition zones” for migratory species.
One acre of wetlands can store over one million gallons of water. But the threats to this vital habitat have been centuries in the making. Most major cities have been built on top of wetlands (think New York City, Paris, London, etc.), and as a result, 64 million acres of wetlands have been destroyed since the 1700s, and nearly 80,000 are lost in the U.S. every year.
This destruction is happening at an alarming rate due to a variety of reasons including an increase in development, climate change, and sea-level rise. However, the Supreme Court made the situation worse by eliminating protections of over half of these areas.
That’s why SEEC Member Rep. Rick Larsen introduced the Clean Water Act of 2023, to reverse the harmful action by the Supreme Court and restore protections for our wetlands.
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The Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition Political Action Committee (SEEC PAC) is an organization that supports members in the U.S. House of Representatives and candidates who fight for clean energy, climate change solutions, environmental justice, and protection of our nation’s clean air, water, wildlife, and public lands. Will you make a donation to our fight today?
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