The importance of inland wetlands is well documented, and yet their regulatory protection from drainage or filling is not clear. The US EPA issued a rule in 2015 that extended Clean Water Act protection to these waters, but the current administration of the US government has ordered further review. Our group, as part of a large international team of researchers, published a paper in Nature Geoscience calling for governmental protection of these vulnerable water. Further, we described a suite of government strategies, including options based on broad protection and also considering effects on downstream waters. Finally, we noted that wetland losses are mounting and that even without federal action, there is abundant opportunity for state and local governments to act.
