Trump Administration Announces Plan to Strip Federal Wetland Protections

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) — Yesterday the Trump Administration released a memo and notice outlining its plan to redefine which wetlands, rivers, streams and lakes are protected under the Clean Water Act. Through this action, the EPA seeks to further limit which wetlands receive federal protections by narrowly implementing the ruling from a 2023 Supreme Court case, Sackett v. EPA.

“Rollbacks of wetland protections weaken our natural defenses, making us less safe, increasing the cost of living and undermining critical environmental benefits,” said Will McDow, Environmental Defense Fund Associate Vice President for Climate Resilient Coasts and Watersheds. “The American people rely on wetlands to protect us from dangerous flooding, purify water and provide critical habitat for many of the fish we eat. Stripping protections for wetlands means Americans will pay the price with more frequent downstream flooding, reduced water quality and ultimately higher insurance and food costs when wetlands are lost.”

Wetlands are critical ecosystems for communities and wildlife alike, home to 40% of the world’s species and 75% of U.S. commercially harvested fish and shellfish species. One acre of wetlands also stores up to 1.5 million gallons of flood water, acting as natural sponges to reduce downstream flood damage in the face of increasing climate-driven storms and disasters.

Related: Trump Proposal Will Dismantle Wetlands Protections, Increase Flood Risk