Wetland Coffee Break

Wisconsin Wetlands Association livestream on Zoom. RSVP for link.

media release: Late last month, the U. S. Supreme Court issued a decision (Sackett vs. EPA) that substantially narrows the scope of wetlands protected under the federal Clean Water Act. The decision limits federal protections to wetlands “with a continuous surface connection to bodies that are waters of the United States in their own right.”

We’ve learned a lot in 50 years of wetland science, including that all waters are connected and that clean water and safe communities are not possible without abundant and healthy wetlands. Unfortunately, federal policy no longer reflects this truth. It will take a grassroots movement and an act of Congress to correct that.

In light of this decision, we're hosting a special one-hour edition of the Wetland Coffee Break on June 16 to explore its implications for Wisconsin.

Hear short presentations by a panel of experts providing the details and context of the case, followed by a facilitated Q&A session with the panelists. Bring your questions on how this decision impacts Wisconsin wetlands! Panelists will include Erin O’Brien, WWA Policy Programs Director, and other Wisconsin experts (TBD). Note: this session will focus on the implications of this recent ruling with respect to wetlands in Wisconsin; the panel does not anticipate spending time on broader implications nationally.

Erin O’Brien has been with WWA since 2004. Her current work focuses on strengthening state laws and regulations governing wetland management, building capacity to help integrate wetland conservation into state-sponsored programs, and providing support to communities interested in restoring wetlands to solve problems. Erin has a Master’s degree in Land Resources from UW-Madison and more than twenty-five years of experience managing projects for non-profit organizations.

Evan Feinauer is a staff attorney at Clean Wisconsin who focuses on protecting Wisconsin’s waters by supporting Clean Wisconsin’s policy experts and lobbyists at the Capitol and by litigating in state court. Evan grew up in the country near Omro, Wisconsin. Prior to joining Clean Wisconsin, Evan worked as a Litigation Fellow with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), where he Evan helped litigate a Safe Drinking Water Act citizen suit responding to the Flint water crisis in federal district court in Detroit, MI. Evan holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and political science from UW-Madison, a master’s degree in ethics and public policy from Suffolk University, and a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School.

Details on other panelists coming soon!