National parks are inseparable from their watersheds, and waterways transcend park boundaries. In the past decade, the federal government hasn't been clear about which waters are protected, leaving many wetlands and streams that provide numerous benefits to national parks vulnerable and unprotected.
It is imperative that the Clean Water Act protect streams and wetlands that flow into national parks and our Great Waters, like the Everglades and the Mississippi River. These waterways provide drinking water, flood protection, wildlife habitat and other benefits that directly affect the plants and animals that national park visitors expect to see.
Join NPCA and urge President Barack Obama, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and Assistant Secretary of the Army Jo-Ellen Darcy to adopt the proposed guidelines issued last summer that help identify which rivers, lakes, wetlands and streams are protected by the Clean Water Act and proceed with rulemaking to ensure that no additional waterways are lost to development or degraded by pollution as a result of current Clean Water Act interpretations.
SUBJECT: Please Adopt Clean Water Act Guidance and Proceed with Rulemaking.
Dear [Decision Maker],
As a national parks advocate, I urge the Administration to adopt the proposed guidance regarding the identification of waters protected by the Clean Water Act (CWA) and proceed with rulemaking to ensure that no additional waterways in national parks, which are important for plants and wildlife and drinking water for millions of visitors like my family, are lost or degraded.
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Your comments will be added here.]
National parks are inseparable from their watersheds, and waterways transcend park boundaries. The most serious threats to park waters arise from activities on lands that lie outside of parks. It is imperative that federal protection like the Clean Water Act protect streams and wetlands that flow into national parks and our nation's Great Waters.
Recent interpretations of Supreme Court rulings have led to confusion about which waters are protected under the Clean Water Act, leaving many wetlands and streams that provide numerous benefits to national parks vulnerable and unprotected. In South Florida, urban development and nutrient pollution currently impact waters that flow into Everglades National Park. Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore contains many streams and wetlands that are readily impacted by activities occurring on waterways outside park boundaries. Additionally, America's Great Waters, such as the Chesapeake Bay, Great Lakes, and Puget Sound, depend on small streams to feed them and wetlands to help keep them clean.
Please adopt your proposed guidance and move forward with rulemaking as soon as possible so no more streams and wetlands are lost forever.
