IN little more than a month, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear cases that could have a huge effect on more than half the 100 million acres of wetlands remaining in the U.S.
Ducks Unlimited, along with a number of other conservation groups and outdoor gear manufacturers, filed a brief that describes how these wetlands and small tributaries are vitally important to the future of fish and wildlife conservation, and to the more than 82 million hunters, anglers and wildlife-watchers who spend $108 billion annually in this country pursing their outdoors passions.
On Friday, the attorneys general of 34 states and the District of Columbia filed an amicus (friend of the court) brief in support of the continuation of the Clean Water Act. The Supreme Court will hear the cases on Feb. 21.
For more than 30 years, the Clean Water Act has protected these kinds of wetlands and the fish and wildlife that depend upon them. The federal Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that these adjacent wetlands are protected by the Clean Water Act, but that could change if the Supreme Court overturns its ruling.
“This is a serious issue for all duck hunters and the millions of Americans who understand the value of wetlands to hundreds of wildlife species, as well as the many benefits wetlands provide people,” said Ducks Unlimited executive vice president Don Young.
Jim Murphy, wetlands counsel for the National Wildlife Federation, agrees.
“If the Supreme Court reverses the lower-court findings, we risk reversing three decades of progress in cleaning up our nation’s waters and slowing losses of wetlands. What a sad legacy to leave our children.”
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A New York bill that would impose unnecessary restrictions on firearm and ammunition sales has been approved by the Assembly.
Assembly Bill 9280, authored by Assemblywoman Amy Paulin (D-Scarsdale), requires retailers to remove firearms from display each night and place them in a vault. It also requires that ammunition be removed from displays and stored where it is accessible only to employees, similar to controlled substances such as pharmaceuticals or tobacco products. This prevents customers from browsing and comparing ammunition. It passed the Assembly on Jan. 9 by a vote of 89-45.
ken.moran@nypost.com
