SCOTUS Ruling is Fantastic News for Alaska

May 25, 2023

With more coastline than the rest of the U.S. combined, over 365,000 miles via 12,000 rivers flowing through the state, and over three million lakes greater than five acres in size, Alaska was sure to be affected by the EPA’s proposed re-write of the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) regulations more than any other state in the nation.

That’s why today’s Supreme Court decision limiting the EPA is such good news.  For a state where 62% of its lands and waters are already under federal management and control, the EPA’s revised WOTUS and Clean Water Act directives would have impacted millions more federal, state and privately-held acres, as the case could have been made that they were somehow connected to the traditional scope of WOTUS-regulated waterways.

Today’s decision is yet another loss for anti-development zealots, whose goal for Alaska – and America as a whole – is to lock up as much of it from responsible development as possible.  Utilizing and weaponizing career eco-centric bureaucrats at EPA, Interior and elsewhere in these efforts got much more difficult today.

And that’s a clear win for America.  We applaud the five justices who stood for sane, rational governance, and against radical agendas designed to weaken America.