Colorado Shows How States and the Nation Can Restore Wetlands Protections After Sackett Decision

DENVER – Colorado Gov. Jared Polis today signed HB24-1379, bipartisan legislation making Colorado the first state in the nation to restore protections for tens of thousands of acres of wetlands and streams put at risk by a Supreme Court ruling a year ago in Sackett v. EPA that removed their Clean Water Act protections nationwide.  

 The following is a comment by Jon Devine, Senior Attorney and Director of Freshwater Ecosystems at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council.) 

“Coloradans should be grateful their state leaders have stood up for clean water by enacting protections for wetlands and streams stripped away by a reckless, poorly reasoned, pro-polluter Supreme Court ruling. Now other states’ leaders must step up to protect their own water resources from pollution, degradation, and destruction. And, ultimately, we need the U.S. Congress to restore these invaluable safeguards covering millions of acres of wetlands and streams for communities nationwide.” 

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NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd)