Video from our partners about the importance of wetlands and how they function

Dear Governor Lee,

<p>Dear Governor Lee,</p> <p>Thank you for your leadership in protecting Tennessee’s natural resources—especially your commitment to agricultural conservation, rural land stewardship, and the health of our rivers, including your longstanding support for the Duck River as one of the most biologically diverse waterways in North America.</p> <p>As you near the end of your final term, you have an opportunity to leave a lasting legacy of balanced, responsible environmental stewardship. I urge you to continue that legacy by vetoing HB 541/SB 670, the wetlands deregulation bill.</p> <p>Wetlands are a vital part of Tennessee’s economic and environmental resilience. They:</p> <ul> <li>Filter and clean water before it enters our aquifers and rivers</li> <li>Reduce flooding and protect farmland and communities</li> <li>Recharge groundwater, including the Memphis Sand Aquifer, which serves over a million people</li> <li>In West Tennessee alone, this bill puts <strong>1.7 billion gallons of groundwater</strong> <strong>recharge</strong> at risk each year.</li> </ul> <p>While HB 541 was promoted as a stakeholder compromise, it falls short of that promise:</p> <ul> <li>It removes protections for up to 80% of wetlands (those under 1 acre), which are essential for flood control and recharge</li> <li>It ignores cumulative impacts of destroying multiple wetlands on a single property</li> <li>It introduces undefined “artificial wetlands” and other vague loopholes</li> <li>It excludes key recommendations like a voluntary conservation fund to support landowners</li> </ul> <p>Without wetlands, rain that once soaked into the ground will run off paved surfaces, increasing flood risk and water pollution across Tennessee. The long-term financial cost to taxpayers will far exceed any short-term permitting efficiency.</p> <p>Governor Lee, your administration has been a strong voice for rural Tennessee, clean water, and conservation-minded policy. Vetoing HB 541 is consistent with your record and values—and it would send a clear message that Tennessee chooses leadership over a race to the bottom in this post-Sackett era.</p> <p>Please protect our wetlands, our aquifers, and our future by vetoing this bill.</p> <p>Sincerely,</p>