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DOZENS OF AMICUS BRIEFS FILED IN SUPPORT OF CLEAN WATER ACT
More than three dozen briefs have already been
filed in what could be the most important Clean Water Act cases ever
to be heard by the Supreme Court.
Coming from a variety of interests and from across the county,
the number of amicus briefs are evidence of how crucial this case
really is and the level of concern for our valuable wetlands.
Earthjustice, representing American Rivers, Environmental Defense, National
Audubon Society, Natural Resources Defense Council, Physicians for
Social Responsibility, Sierra Club, Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council
and Waterkeeper Alliance, is just one of many that has filed an amicus
brief on the side of the U.S. government in the two consolidated
Clean Water Act cases, Rapanos v. U.S. and U.S. v Carabell, that the
Supreme Court is scheduled to hear February 21. Both cases involve proposed
commercial developments in Michigan
wetlands adjoining streams that are tributaries of the Great
Lakes.
These groups join an unprecedented array
of local, state, and federal government officials, hunting and
fishing advocacy groups, scientists, and others from across the
political and policy spectrums who are all filing friend-of-the-court
briefs today urging the Court to maintain the longstanding
protections offered by the Clean Water Act. This unparalleled collection of interested parties
includes four former Administrators of the Environmental Protection
Agency, nine members of Congress directly involved in drafting the
pages of the 1972 Act and its reaffirmation in 1977, and a group of
34 states and the District of Columbia. All expressed strong support of
the Clean Water Act’s core safeguard: the requirement to obtain a
permit before discharging pollutants into waters of the United
States.
You can download and read any of the briefs
submitted to the Supreme Court regarding the Rapanos/Carabell case at
the following website:
http://www.eswr.com/1105/rapanos
Look for updates on the critical court case in
future MWAC Newsletters.
CALL FOR PAPERS
FOR WETLANDS 2006
The Association of
State Wetland Managers, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality,
Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, sponsors, and cooperating parties
invite you to submit a paper for Wetlands 2006, an international
symposium providing a forum for presentations and discussion on the
scientific, legal and management tools relevant to sustaining and
restoring wetlands and watershed functions. The symposium will include presentations, posters and
discussion on activities in the Great Lakes area as well as projects
describing, “lessons learned” from other parts of the United States
and Canada.
Abstract
Submission: Please submit an
abstract of 250 words or less addressing scientific, legal and/or
management issues specific to one of the specified topics. Please submit abstracts in word
format to Sharon at abstractswetlands2006@aswm.org
by March 10, 2006.
You can also view the call for papers announcement and the specified
topics at the ASWM website at
http://www.aswm.org/calendar/wetlands2006/cfp2006.htm.
The conference will take place August
29-31, 2006 at the Grand Traverse Resort, Traverse
City, Michigan.
For more information on Wetlands 2006, visit: http://www.aswm.org/calendar/wetlands2006/wetlands2006.htm.
OFFICE OF THE GREAT
LAKES ACTIVITY REPORT AVAILABLE
The Great Lakes Regional
Collaboration...Annex 2001...the Aquatic Invasive Species
Workshop...the Michigan
Ballast Water Reporting Program.
Find updates on these topics and more in the Winter 2006
edition of the Office of the Great Lakes Activity Report.
Access it
at:
http://www.deq.state.mi.us/documents/deq-ogl-AR-Winter2006.pdf
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