This week, the federal Environmental Protection Agency released new rules for the regulation of many of the wetlands, streams and seasonal creeks throughout the United States in order to ensure conformity with a recent US Supreme Court decision on the Clean Water Act. In what is known as the Sackett case, the court significantly weakened the protections that were enacted by a bipartisan Congress in 1972 with the goal of ensuring the waters of the United States would all be “fishable, swimmable, and drinkable.” In response to these new regulations, California Trout Executive Director Curtis Knight released the following statement:
“At a time when the best available science points to a clear connection between the health of all waters – whether above or below ground, seasonal or perennial – these new regulations are particularly disappointing. Water is essential for both people and fish to survive and thrive, and none of us can do that if our rivers, lakes and streams are polluted due to weak regulations. For the sake of every Californian and for the fish that depend on our waterways for survival, we hope that regulators and legislators in California will look for opportunities to better protect our water under these weakened federal regulations.”
If you would like to speak with someone at CalTrout about this issue, please contact sev@publicgoodpr.com.
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Peter Moyle is the Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology and Associate Director of the Center for Watershed Sciences, at UC Davis. He is author or co-author of more than 240 publications, including the definitive Inland Fishes of California (2002). He is co-author of the 2017 book, Floodplains: Processes and Management for Ecosystem Services. His research interests include conservation of aquatic species, habitats, and ecosystems, including salmon; ecology of fishes of the San Francisco Estuary; ecology of California stream fishes; impact of introduced aquatic organisms; and use of floodplains by fish.
Robert Lusardi is the California Trout/UC Davis Wild and Coldwater Fish Researcher focused on establishing the basis for long-term science specific to California Trout’s wild and coldwater fish initiatives. His work bridges the widening gap between academic science and applied conservation policy, ensuring that rapidly developing science informs conservation projects throughout California. Dr. Lusardi resides at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences and works closely with Dr. Peter Moyle on numerous projects to help inform California Trout conservation policy. His recent research interests include Coho salmon on the Shasta River, the ecology of volcanic spring-fed rivers, inland trout conservation and management, and policy implications of trap and haul programs for anadromous fishes in California.
Patrick Samuel is the Conservation Program Coordinator for California Trout, a position he has held for almost two years, where he coordinates special research projects for California Trout, including the State of the Salmonids report. Prior to joining CalTrout, he worked with the Fisheries Leadership & Sustainability Forum, a non-profit that supports the eight federal regional fishery management councils around the country. Patrick got his start in fisheries as an undergraduate intern with NOAA Fisheries Protected Resources Division in Sacramento, and in his first field job as a crew member of the California Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Wild and Heritage Trout Program.