Clean Water Vital to Wisconsin's Hunting Tradition
The outdoors is an important part of who we are and the way we live in Wisconsin. Hunters, anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts come from far and wide to enjoy everything our beautiful state has to offer. In our communities, there is a heartfelt commitment to protecting the outdoors, and the wildlife habitat it provides.
With hunting season upon us in Wisconsin, we must recognize that the health of our rivers, streams and other waters is crucial for deer, birds, fish and other wildlife. If we fail to protect these waters, we jeopardize critical wildlife habitats that our state's hunters rely on, as well as sources of drinking water for communities across the country. Failing to protect waters upstream also affects water downstream, including the Mississippi River and its tributaries, and Lake Superior and Lake Michigan, which are among our most celebrated natural resources.
For decades, upstream waters, including isolated wetlands and headwater streams, were protected by the Clean Water Act of 1972. However, two recent and controversial Supreme Court decisions have jeopardized these protections, putting nearly 20 million acres of wetlands habitat, more than 50 percent of our stream miles in the lower 48 states, and the drinking water of 110 million Americans at risk. Wisconsin and the nation already face continued water challenges -- from contaminated wells to severe algal blooms -- and rolling back the Clean Water Act would only exacerbate these serious public health threats.
We need to stand up for clean drinking water, and for the waters and wildlife that have given so much to generations of Wisconsinites. That's where my Clean Water Restoration Act comes in. There are no new regulations in my bill, which was approved by a key Senate Committee earlier this year, only a return to the Clean Water Act protections that have safeguarded our waters for more than 35 years.
Groups that have fought for years on behalf of hunters and anglers, such as Ducks Unlimited and the Izaak Walton League, are supporting the Clean Water Restoration Act. Protecting wetlands and streams is crucial for retaining habitats and ecosystems that are critical for the survival of both game and non-game species. Unless we act now, waters across the country will not be protected by the Clean Water Act from sewage discharges, industrial pollution, and other pollution, putting bodies of water that provide drinking water and habitat for fish and wildlife at risk.
Unfortunately, some special interests are working to roll back the Clean Water Act. We have come a long way since the burning Cuyahoga River became a national symbol of our country's water quality problems. Americans continue to rank pollution of drinking water as their top environmental concern, and now is not the time to abandon our commitment to drinkable, swimmable, and fishable waters. These waters and habitat remain critical for the health and well-being of virtually all wildlife and help ensure that Wisconsinites will be able to continue our traditions of hunting and fishing for generations to come
Congress should act now to protect those waters, our wildlife and the great outdoors here in Wisconsin.