Wildlife Management Institute Outdoor News Bulletin February 2020
Navigable Waters Protection Rule Finalized as Part of WOTUS
On January 23, 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of the Army (Army) finalized the Navigable Waters Protection Rule to define “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act. Within the new rule, the agencies are recognizing the difference between federally protected and state protected wetlands to “achieve the proper relationship between the federal government and states in managing land and water resources.”
New Boreal Partnership Provides Local and Global Benefits
The boreal forest is the largest contiguous forest landscape on Earth. It stretches from the Atlantic coast of Canada to the Bering Sea in Alaska and from the Great Lakes to the arctic. It is the largest source of surface fresh water on the planet and vast amounts of carbon are stored in the soil and vegetation across this landscape.