I was thrilled to see the U.S. Supreme Court rule in favor of private property rights, and against federal regulatory overreach, in this week’s Sackett vs. EPA decision that limited the scope of the Waters of the United States to only year-round connected bodies of water.
Gaining a unanimous ruling in any court has proven near-impossible recently, given the state of the judiciary and the politics behind it. Sackett had all nine Supreme Court justices agree: the EPA exceeded its authority and must be reined in.
This ruling is a massive victory for Juneau and all of Alaska, as we have more WOTUS-eligible land in Alaska than any other state. Our 12,000 rivers, three million lakes, and expansive shorelines fall under WOTUS. There is now clarity that non-contiguous, seasonal waters do not fall under WOTUS. This ruling will make developing these properties much more certain going forward in Juneau and across the state.
PeggyAnn McConnochie,
Juneau
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