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Illinois lawmakers urged to ‘step up’ and ‘fight like hell’ as EPA moves to cut wetlands protections

Egrets hunt in the wetlands at Milan Bottoms Preserve in Rock Island County on July 31, 2025. Milan Bottoms spans over 4,000 acres and is owned by a patchwork of state and federal agencies as well as private parties. Illinois has no statewide protections for wetlands on private land. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
Egrets hunt in the wetlands at Milan Bottoms Preserve in Rock Island County on July 31, 2025. Milan Bottoms spans over 4,000 acres and is owned by a patchwork of state and federal agencies as well as private parties. Illinois has no statewide protections for wetlands on private land. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
Adriana Pérez is a general assignment and environment reporter for the Chicago Tribune. Photo taken on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
By | adperez@chicagotribune.com | Chicago Tribune
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New U.S. EPA rule would strip protections from 72% of the state's remaining wetlands, which play a crucial role in mitigating flooding and filtering drinking water.
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