To follow up the information posted by Jane, I would like to encourage everyone to contact his/her U.S. house rep. by DEC. 10 to support the isolated waters/wetlands initiative. Iowa Wetlands in Need (IWIN) was formed earlier this year in response to the SWANCC decision that removed regulations and thus protections.

The good news is that IWIN, with helpful advice from the national Sierra Club waters group, has helped ensure that Iowa City's Sensitive Areas Ordinance will be revised to revert to pre-SWANCC protections. We also are working at the county (Johnson) and state level with State Sen. Joe Bolkcom to try to ensure broader protections for all the isolated wetlands in our state of Iowa. However, it is extremely unlikely, given what we have learned to date, that we will be able to have effective legislation at the state-level this year. A significant number of wetlands in Iowa and nationwide could be filled in by this time next year unless we get protections, somehow, as soon as possible.

So, again, I encourage you to contact your U.S. House representative about supporting the letter being circulated by Reps. Kind and Gilchrest on isolated wetlands guidance.

If you want to be added to IWIN's mailing list and/or to lend your name as a supporter of our efforts, send an email with your name, email/snail address, telephone number and title/workplace (if appropriate. Please specify if we can cite your name as a supporter:

In addition, if you have a special area of expertise related to wetlands or know of an endangered isolated wetlands, please be sure to let us know what it is. (We don't do a lot of mailings so we won't be gunking up your mailbox.)

Thank you.

Becky Soglin

IWIN co-founder

Sierra Club member

Urgent: Contact Your Representatives Today and Ask Them to Protect
Isolated Waters and Wetlands!

In January the Supreme Court dealt a blow to wetlands protections
nationwide.  The SWANCC decision (Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook
County vs. Army Corps of Engineers) punched a hole in the Clean Water
Act's protection of isolated waters and wetlands.  Since then, Network
members have reported seeing bulldozers destroying countless isolated
wetlands throughout the country.

EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers are developing a guidance document
to be used by Corps Districts when determining if a waterbody falls
under the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act as defined by the Supreme
Court SWANCC decision. We must ensure that this document defines
isolated waters in the most narrow way possible, consistent with the
Supreme's Court opinion.

Here is where you come in: Representatives are urging the EPA and the
Corps to issue joint guidance that retains as much legal protection as
possible for isolated wetlands and other waterbodies.  We need to get as
many representatives signing on to this letter as possible by COB
MONDAY, DEC. 10.  Please contact your representatives by calling the
Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.  Ask to speak with the
environmental legislative assistant and deliver this message:

* I would like to urge Rep. X to protect our nation's wetlands.

* I ask Rep. X to sign on to the letter being circulated by Reps. Kind

and Gilchrest on isolated wetlands guidance by December 10.

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