CHICAGO — As federal waterway protections face potential rollbacks, the Shedd Aquarium and other Illinois environmental advocates are sounding the alarm — and urging state lawmakers to act before large swaths of Illinois wetlands become unregulated for the first time in decades.

The push comes amid a number of conservation-focused observances. Feb. 2 was World Wetlands Day, and Saturday’s Reverse the Red Day celebrated global conservation efforts. Meanwhile, Congress is considering the PERMIT Act, federal legislation that would narrow which waterways are protected under the 1972 Clean Water Act.

The legislation is part of a broader rollback of federal water protections by Congress and the Environmental Protection Agency. In recent years, the EPA has moved to reconsider or delay stricter wastewater discharge standards for coal-fired power plants and scale back limits on “forever chemicals,” or PFAS, in drinking water. While some of those changes are already in effect, others have been delayed by legal challenges that could take years to resolve. As of December 2025, the PERMIT Act passed through the U.S. House of Representatives and awaits action in the Senate.

If approved, the legislation could strip protections from wetlands that help prevent flooding, filter water and provide habitats for endangered species. Unlike neighboring Midwest states like Wisconsin and Michigan, Illinois lacks comprehensive statewide wetland protections. That gap persists despite recent action, including the Illinois Rewilding Law, which took effect last month and promotes the restoration of native ecosystems.

Environmental advocates are now pressing state legislators and Gov. JB Pritzker to pass the Wetlands Protection Act, introduced by state Sen. Laura Ellman and state Rep. Anna Moeller in February 2025. The bill would require permits for developers seeking to discharge dredged or fill material into state-jurisdictional wetlands. 

As part of its advocacy efforts, the Shedd announced its inaugural Wetlands Week this month, advertising paths for direct action. The Shedd’s “Defend the Ten” campaign urges Illinois residents to contact their representatives in support of the Wetlands Protection Act.

The campaign follows the Shedd’s public comments opposing the PERMIT Act, which drew nearly 500 signatures, according to Mallory Hebert, the aquarium’s manager of government affairs and policy.

“I think we’re really proud to be leading on wetlands advocacy in Illinois,” Hebert said. “I’m looking forward to hearing [the governor’s] response to these calls to action.”

Beyond legislation, the aquarium is urging people to get more involved. Through their Shedd Aquarium Action Days, volunteers take part in habitat restoration projects and trash cleanups across Chicago. 

Robert Hirschfeld, director of water policy at Prairie Rivers Network, said the Wetlands Protection Act allows Illinois to act even as federal protections vanish. But resistance from agricultural groups could complicate the bill’s path forward, he said.

“Governor Pritzker has positioned Illinois as a bulwark against some of the most egregious abuses of the Trump administration. And yet, when it comes to some of these environmental issues, I have not seen the same level of commitment and pushback,” Hirschfeld said. 

Pritzker’s office declined to be interviewed for this story, but a spokesperson said in a statement that the office will “monitor and review legislation as it moves through the General Assembly.”

“Any legislation that requires additional state resources will be carefully reviewed with budgeteers to understand the fiscal impact,” the statement continued.

Not everyone is on board with the Wetlands Protection Act.

In a January announcement, the Illinois Farm Bureau said it opposed “burdensome wetland legislation” that would create uncertainty for landowners and introduce costly permitting fees and regulations.

But advocates for the Protection Act said costs associated with the measure won’t necessarily fall on the agricultural industry. The bill, as introduced, exempts certain agricultural land uses, such as everyday farming activities on existing farmland.

Primary costs would apply only to those seeking new development permits rather than routine farming operations. Penalties for violating the act would be applied to a Wetlands Protection Fund, which would support wetland and small stream restoration and management.

Other organizations, including Environment Illinois and the Illinois Environmental Council, are also elevating the issue.

The Environmental Council’s conservation director Lindsay Keeney said despite opposition from the Farm Bureau, some Illinois farmers have expressed support for protections. 

“Nature-based solutions – cheap, easily investible solutions, like wetlands – can store floodwater and maintain their soil health and keep their fields from flooding,” Keeney said. “We’re continuing to sound the alarm that the wetlands that exist currently are without protection.”

Wetlands in Illinois are home to several endangered species, including reptiles and amphibians, 40 of which are particularly at risk according to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Prairie Research Institute.

Shedd scientists conduct ongoing research in Chicago-area wetlands to better protect these ecosystems. Research biologist Melissa Youngquist monitors amphibians and reptiles, while her colleague, Kentaro Inoue conducts freshwater mussel surveys to inform conservation strategies. 

Beyond ecological benefits, wetlands provide significant economic value to Illinois, largely due to flood mitigation, the Tribune reported. They also act as natural water filters, removing pollutants from stormwater and agricultural runoff. 

Advocates say the Wetlands Protection Act could determine whether Illinois steps in as federal oversight shrinks. 

“Illinois, historically, has been such a leader in conservation, and we have gotten away from that,” Keeney said. “We have room to gain that leadership again around open space and nature, and become that leader that we once were as a state.”

---

Listen to the Block Club Chicago podcast: