Waters of the United States - A Book Talk with Royal Gardner

In summer 2023, the Supreme Court drastically limited water and wetlands protection across the United States. In his new book, Waters of the United States, Royal. C. Gardner explores the fascinating (and troubling) legal history of Clean Water Act protections, examining the roles of the President, Congress, states, and stakeholders in defining the scope of protected water resources.

Royal C. Gardner is the Hugh F. Culverhouse Professor of Law and Director of the Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy at Stetson University College of Law. He was introduced to WOTUS issues in the early 1990s when serving in the Army General Counsel’s Office in the Pentagon. He has coauthored amicus briefs on behalf of aquatic scientists and scientific societies in WOTUS-related cases, including in County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund and Sackett v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. At the international level, he served two terms as Chair of the Scientific and Technical Review Panel of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. His recognitions include a National Wetlands Award for Education and Outreach, and his institute is the recipient of the American Bar Association’s Award for Distinguished Achievement in Environmental Law and Policy. Professor Gardner’s most recent book, Waters of the United States: POTUS, SCOTUS, WOTUS, and the Politics of a National Resource, has just been published by Island Press.