Call on Congress To Pass New Protections for "Catchments"-Save America's Water- Rebranding Wetlands
Update on previous post. Call on Congress to enact new legislation to protect WATER CATCHMENTS. (If the Supreme Court wants to play this game, game on). "Catchment" is in fact, a more accurate term. Biden can pass an executive order. Contact your legislators and Biden. Thank you.
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Nice recharge basin!
Are we really here now? I know, but here is how we are going to save the few wetland habitats left--stop calling them wetlands. It's obvious scientists need to "rebrand" wetlands since people with no ecological training whatsoever, somehow placed in a position to destroy them (referred to as the "Supreme" Court), seem to be 'supremely' unaware of the impacts their rulings have on the nation's water supply, if we drill it down to just the basics, no pun intended.
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And, it's working. By now, I have worked with hundreds of private landowners, mostly with modestly sized parcels, none of which jump for joy when I tell them there is a wetland on their property. (Thankfully, there are quite a few incentive programs through the USDA and DOI that reward landowners for protecting them (unfortunately many of the small parcels do not qualify) and I try very hard to put them in touch with these programs, that we all pay for. What we need though is an easy state tax deduction for protection of wetlands on private lands. The wetland has to be certified by a professional biologist but after this, for every year they protect it, they get a tax deduction, and it's EASY for a landowner to do when they are doing their taxes, but I diverge).
This year I took a different tact. "That's a mighty nice recharge basin you got!" Because THIS is what wetlands do--collect water, hold it, filter it, and recharge local watersheds. Instead of getting a sigh, or a sarcastic comment ("know where I can rent a backhoe?"), I got a "hmmm, well THAT'S GOOD!". All of the landowners I worked with this year rely on well water from their property and when I explained the value of preserving the wetlands on their property as WATER RECHARGE basins (areas, points), they were very interested in protecting them and instantly understood the importance of doing so.
Now if we could only get to the "Supreme" Court...
Stormwater Program Manager at Fort George G. Meade
1 年There is no doubt that this country underestimates the significance of our water resources, and we are now paying the price because of climate change and miss management. Wetlands are waters of the US, They are important to everyone, to every species that depends on them for life sustainment. Wetlands, water recharge basins, drainage ways ephemeral, intermediate, and perennial all have an important role in maintaining water quality, habitat, and a resource supply for our ever-growing population. It is short sighted to think there is an endless supply of water for all of our needs. These habitats are critical to all life. To protect and preserve our resources should be the first thought of any governing body that cares about the future.?