Nontidal wetlands could soon have state-level regulations

A 2011 study published by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Wetlands Inventory found that 25% of Delaware is wetlands. Some of those are considered freshwater or nontidal wetlands - and are located further inland.Although they’re vital to the ecosystem, Delaware does not have any statewide regulations to protect these habitats.A new bill aims to change that. Senate Bill 9 would fill gaps left by federal laws governing what humans can or can’t do in protected areas.This week, Delaware Public Media’s Jay Shah sat down with the bill’s sponsor, State Senator Stephanie Hansen and Emily Knearl, Director of Public Policy at The Nature Conservancy to understand what this legislation would do and why it matters.