NEC Webinar: How States Can Protect Our Waters Post-Sackett

On December 19, 2024, NEC hosted a webinar in partnership with the National Wildlife Federation and the Clean Water For All Coalition to discuss ways state leaders can ensure clean water for all.

In May 2023 the Supreme Court ruled on Sackett v. EPA and significantly weakened the Clean Water Act (CWA). The ruling removed protections for wetlands and ephemeral streams. Nearly half of States use the CWA definition for Waters of the United States (WOTUS), and anything that isn’t a WOTUS is now vulnerable to pollution and destruction.

This panel discussion covered how the Supreme Court’s Sackett v. EPA decision has impacted the nation’s waters, how states have responded in the last year, and what states and legislators can do to ensure their waters are protected.

Panelists

• Lacey McCormick – National Wildlife Federation
• Jim Murphy – National Wildlife Federation
• Kristine Oblock – Clean Water For All

Additional Resources

View the presentation slides from the Briefing. Additional resources from the event are below. Please reach out to Chris Askew-Merwin, NEC Sustainable Agriculture and Water Specialist with any questions.

• Sackett v. EPA: The State of Our Waters One Year Later – Clean Water For All

• Waters Storytelling Toolking – National Wildlife Federation

• Protecting Wetlands Through Zoning – National Wildlife Federation

• Encouraging Wetland Conservation through State Tax Credits and Conservation Easement Reform – National Wildlife Federation

• Leveraging the Clean Water State Revolving Fund to Protect Vulnerable Wetlands and Their Functions – National Wildlife Federation

• Leveraging Federal Agriculture Conservation Programs to Protect and Restore Wetlands – National Wildlife Federation

• Ballot/Bond Initiatives – National Wildlife Federation

• Wetlands Dashboard: State-Level Protections Post Sackett – Lawyers for Good Government