Nestled in the heart of California’s Central Valley, the Cosumnes River Preserve is a critical stop on the Pacific Flyway for migrating and wintering waterfowl. The preserve includes 46,000 acres of grasslands, vernal pools, wetlands and valley oak forests. The controversy has spurred two separate Supreme Court decisions, as well as a more recent federal appellate court ruling, as the two previous administrations sought to resolve the matter through executive actions. Two Supreme Court decisions that came down during the George W. Bush administration, in 2001 and 2006, fostered uncertainty over exactly what falls under the federal jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act. Speaking to reporters Monday, the senior administration official said the regulation issued in 2015 “vastly expands federal jurisdictions over state waters, and we think .

Source: Washington Post February 28, 2017 04:34 UTC