BC Forest Practices Board’s Post

On World Wetlands Day, we reminded each other that everyone has a legal obligation to protect wetlands. They are not available spaces of land up for grabs by the highest bidder. In our statement for the day, we note that despite legal provisions that protect wetlands, they continue to be destroyed or degraded due to human activities such as urbanization and agriculture. In the statement, ZELA decries "soft" penalties for wetland destruction that are proving not deterrent enough for offenders who seem to find it more profitable to destroy the natural resource and pay fines than avoid invading protected land. Read the attached full statement or on our website here: https://lnkd.in/dksSAmg6

This #EarthWeek, the White House is inviting state, tribal, & local leaders as part of a new national goal to conserve and restore freshwater resources! The America the Beautiful Freshwater Challenge sets a new goal to protect, restore, & reconnect 8M acres of wetlands & 100k miles of rivers. Wetland protections are critical following the Supreme Court’s Sackett v. EPA decision, which narrowed the scope of federally protected wetlands. In this interview with WUWM’s Susan Bence, Center for Water Policy Director, Melissa Scanlan discussed the court ruling’s effects on Wisconsin wetlands, which have undergone changes in state-level protection laws. The decision is expected to shift regulatory responsibility to the states, but the extent of its impact on wetlands remains uncertain. Hear the interview by following the link in the comments ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/eEV8NCva

For today's #WetlandsWednesday, check out this article that our public policy & regulation section chair, John Lowenthal is quoted in, on the weakening of federal wetlands protections in America. https://bit.ly/3MriCH4

State and local governments are not well equipped to safeguard wetlands from developers in the absence of federal protection. How many wetlands will be lost to private development and industry such as mines by the Boundary Waters or the Okefenokee before this disastrous decision is repealed?

🌿 Calling all environmental enthusiasts! Do you live in British Columbia, New Brunswick or Prince Edward Island, and have boxwood shrubs on or near your yard? We are on a mission to protect our green spaces from the invasive box tree moth, and we need your help! 🔎 Join our team of backyard detectives and receive a monitoring kit to track down this elusive pest. 🐛 It's a chance to be part of ground-breaking research right in your own garden! Simply set up the trap near your boxwood, peek inside once a week, and report back with your findings. Don't worry, the trap won't harm your plants - it's all in the name of science! Ready to make a difference? You have until April 26 to send a request to cfia.surveillance-surveillance.acia@inspection.gc.ca with your name and full mailing address. Note that the number of traps available is limited! You can also help by learning more about this pest and sharing this information in your professional networks and community: https://bit.ly/3U97NwG #NatureDetectives #BoxTreeMoth #CFIA

A good read on possible effects of the Sacket decision and the changes to the definition of wetlands recently made. Waiting to see how it will make changes here in Alaska.

HUGE NEWS. The federal government’s new Murray-Darling legislation just passed the Senate — paving the way for more water to finally be returned to rivers, wetlands and wildlife! Thank you to Tanya Plibersek, Sarah Hanson-Young, David Pocock, Lidia Thorpe, Jacqui Lambie, Tammy Tyrrell for vital work strengthening and passing this Bill. This is the biggest sign of progress we’ve seen in a decade. It’s a lifeline for rivers ahead of the next drought and it’s thanks to thousands of Australians speaking up and demanding action. This new legislation will: — Allow farmers to sell their water to the government again — Ensure that 450 billion litres of water that was promised for the environment will finally be delivered — Open the door to more water flowing down the Darling-Baaka (where the massive fish kills happened) — Create a pathway for First Nations water rights — Give the power to cancel dodgy water ‘offset’ projects —Implement an independent audit of water recovery Today’s deal is a massive win – but it’s just the beginning. Together, we’ll continue pushing for a bigger, bolder plan that delivers the scale of change that rivers, First Nations and regional communities need.

💧Wetlands💧 protection and how that can impact you as the landowners. Be aware. https://lnkd.in/eAU_an2P

On Monday 6/19, White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory spoke at the #NAWM Annual Conference, urging states to compensate for the lack of federal wetland protections. Even before Sackett v. EPA, nationwide wetland losses have increased by 50%, amounting to a loss of 670,000 acres of vegetated wetlands. The Biden administration aims to overcome some of these gaps. Current initiatives include: * A goal to restore and reconnect 8 million acres of wetlands and 100,000 miles of streams and waters. * A plan by US Army Corps of Engineers to use compensatory mitigation to offeset losses of aquatic resources and wetlands. Mallory was clear that these federal efforts won't bridge the gap sufficiently, and that additional efforts, including better public education on the status and importance of wetlands; collective cooperation between states, Tribes, local and global entities, and both the private and public sector; and an eye for innovative solutions. Read our summary of the effects of Sackett v. EPA, one year out from the decision: https://lnkd.in/exAUZsXG Summarized from Inside EPA: https://lnkd.in/exjVy9QC [paywalled] National Association of Wetland Managers

Interested in learning about the BLM's much anticipated Conservation and Landscape Health Rule released last week? Check out this blog post from the Wallace Stegner Center's Law & Policy program which links to a white paper written in collaboration with the Greches-Wilkinson Center at University of Colorado Boulder (that I helped draft!). This new rule represents a step forward in BLM's ability to implement its statutory mandate of "multiple use and sustained yield" under the Federal Lands Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA). https://lnkd.in/gHiKRdjM