On February 15, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership urged individual sportsmen and women to urge EPA not to overlook critical fish and waterfowl habitat in a proposed rule rolling back federal Clean Water Act protections for 50 percent of wetlands and 18 percent of stream miles in the United States.

The deadline for comments is April 15.  Click Here to send your comments.

“Clean water is vital to our hunting and fishing traditions and the booming outdoor recreation economy,” said Whit Fosburgh, the TRCP’s president and CEO. “This proposal disregards the importance of smaller streams and isolated wetlands and the Clean Water Act’s 40-year track record of improving America’s waterways. A rollback of this magnitude puts fish and wildlife at serious risk. The EPA must listen to the millions of sportsmen and women who rely on clean water.”

Before finalizing the 2015 clean water rule, the EPA held a 120-day comment period and ultimately allowed the public a total of 200 days to respond to the proposal. The EPA is now only giving the public just 60 days to submit feedback on the replacement rule.

“The agencies need to give sportsmen and women sufficient time to speak out, given the gravity of this rule,” said Fosburgh. “Sixty days is not enough.”

For more information on programs, initiatives and how you can become involved, visit the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership website.  Questions should be directed to Derek Eberly, Pennsylvania Field Representative, by sending email to: deberly@trcp.org.

Related Story:

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership Urges Support For INCREASED Funding For PA Environmental Stewardship (Growing Greener) Fund

[Posted: Feb. 15, 2019]

2/18/2019