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Wetlands Ruling Doesn't Finish Issue

The Detroit News reports that the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday overturned lower court judgments against two sets of Michigan property owners who sought to develop land designated as wetlands by the government. While the ruling could allow unrestricted development on millions of acres of land considered wetlands under the Clean Water Act, both cases have been sent back to the appeals court for further review.

UPDATE: Jack Lessenberry interviews Environmental Law attorney Albert Ettinger about the ruling.

UPDATE 2: "If you're an outdoors person, it should tell you something that Ducks Unlimited, Trout Unlimited, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and the National Wildlife Federation all came out with criticisms of the decision." - Eric Sharp, Freep

Read MUDDIED WATERS: Split U.S. High Court kicks back fate of wetlands development to Mich. (editorial) in the Detroit News
Great analysis in Wetlands and property rights from the Legal Redux blog
Also see Editorial: Supreme Court bungles Michigan wetlands cases in the Detroit News
Read Justice Stevens and a narrow escape for America's wetlands from Dave's Blog
Read ERIC SHARP: High court fails to protect wetlands from the Freep

Posted/updated Jun 20, 2006
by Andrew McFarlane (Absolute Michigan)