Wisconsin yesterday became the first state to put into law a stronger set of protections for wetlands just four months after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling removed federal safeguards from isolated wetlands that provide habitat for migrating birds. The court decision in January had left vulnerable 4.2 million acres of isolated wetlands in the state — marshy areas that are not connected to streams or lakes. Gov. Scott McCallum (R) said his state had already received a number of calls from others eager to follow Wisconsin’s lead on the issue.
