Bill relaxing wetlands protections headed to Holcomb’s desk

The Indiana State Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would relax some protections for certain wetlands in the Hoosier State. This passage came after the House of Representatives voted in favor of it (64-30) Jan. 23. This is the first piece of legislation from this session to be sent to Gov. Eric Holcomb.

The bill clarifies Indiana’s classifications of wetlands and eliminates some current requirements. HB 1383 focuses on “isolated wetlands,” or wetlands that aren’t adjacent to rivers and streams. Wetlands adjacent to rivers and streams are the only ones federally protected by the Clean Water Act, according to Bruce Kingsbury, director of the Environmental Resources Center at Purdue University Fort Wayne. Protecting isolated wetlands are up to the states, Kingsbury said.

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