SUPPORT THE ILLINOIS WETLAND PROTECTION ACT - House Bill 6013

Help Save Illinois Wetlands Left Open To Destruction By Court Ruling

On January 9, 2001 the US Supreme Court dealt a heavy blow to wetlands in

Illinois, and the nation, with its decision in Solid Waste Agency of Northern

Cook County v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (SWANCC). The Court ruled that

the Army Corps had improperly denied a proposal to destroy ponds that provide

habitat for migrating birds in order to build a landfill.

The Court held that state and local governments, not the federal government,

have the authority to regulate these "isolated" wetlands. Because Illinois

has no state - level program in place for these critical areas, they are

suddenly without any protection.

Illinois' Wetlands - Valuable Resources, Mostly Destroyed

In Illinois, we have already lost over 85% of our original wetland acreage.

Of Illinois' estimated original 8,212,000 acres of wetlands, circa 1780, only

1,254,500 acres are estimated to still exist as of the 1980's, the last time

a statewide survey was done by the state.

The economic value of Illinois' remaining wetlands is $7.5 billion, according

to the Clean Water Network. These areas protect our families from flood

damage by absorbing rainwater, filter pollutants out of our water supplies,

and provide critical habitat for many species of wildlife. Illinois has 57

rare animal and 11 rare plant species that are wetland-dependent for at least

part of their lives, such as the Eastern Prarie Fringed Orchid and the

Indiana Bat.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources estimates that over a third of

Illinois' remaining wetlands have suddently lost all federal protection as a

result of the decision. Unless the we act at the state or local to protect

them, nothing is stopping the bulldozers from destroying these critical areas.

How The Illinois Wetland Protection Act Would Work

House Bill 6013 would restore protections to wetlands that the federal

government is no longer protecting by requiring a permit from the state

before anyone could destroy a wetland in Illinois. If the applicant could

demonstrate that there were no reasonable alternatives to destroying the

wetland, and that it would not result in a loss of flood control, wildlife

habitat, or water purification functions, then a permit would be issued by

the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The IDNR, which includes the

state's experts on wildlife and flood control, would consult with the

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to determine if the proposed

activity would cause a violation of Illinois' water quality standards.

HB 6013 would allow for the wetland protection program to be run by county

governments, rather than the state, if the county chose to and had a program

in place that was as protective as the state program. Counties such as Lake,

DuPage, and Kane, which currently have a wetland permit program, could be

delegated this state authority.

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HOW YOU CAN HELP:

Please Contact your State Representative and urge him or her to CO-SPONSOR

the Illinois Wetland Protection Act - House Bill 6013.. You can find out who

your State Representative, and how to contact them, at

http://www.elections.state.il.us/DLS/Pages/DLSAddressCrit.asp

Sierra Club, Illinois Chapter 312-251-1680 illinois.chapter@sierraclub.org