gg2
Trump cuts wetland protections
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Trump administration proposes broader rollback of Clean Water Act wetland protections.
The move could strip federal safeguards from most U.S. wetlands, shifting oversight to states.
Background
The Trump administration on Friday proposed further narrowing Clean Water Act protections for streams and wetlands. This follows a 2023 Supreme Court decision, Sackett v. EPA, that limited federal jurisdiction to wetlands with continuous surface connection to relatively permanent waters. The new proposal would remove protections for waters based on whether they cross state lines and only apply to waters flowing during the 'wet season.'
How it unfolded
- 2023Supreme Court's Sackett v. EPA decision narrowed federal wetland protections.
- last winterTrump administration proposed initial rollback of wetland protections.
- Sep 4, 2026EPA announced further narrowing of Clean Water Act protections, seeking public comments.
Who’s saying what
- Environmentalists
- Critics like Maggie Nivison of Conservation Law Foundation say the proposal enormously increases risk to federal waters.
- Administration
- EPA Administrator Zeldin argues the proposal strikes a balance between federal and state authority, with states and tribes still regulating removed lands.