Statement on Wetlands Bill HB0541/SB0670
TennGreen Land Conservancy and Tennessee Wildlife Federation, with crucial partners, release their statement on Wetlands Bill HB0541/SB0670.
At TennGreen Land Conservancy, the protection of Tennessee’s wetlands has always been and will always be a top priority. Through conservation easements, acquisitions, and restoration projects, we take great pride in the conservation of these irreplaceable ecosystems.
Over the past year, TennGreen has also taken an active, behind-the-scenes role in advocating for the protection of Tennessee’s wetlands alongside Tennessee Wildlife Federation and other crucial partners. Recognizing the urgency and complexity of the legislative environment surrounding wetland conservation, we joined with peer organizations to retain a lobbyist to represent the interests of conservation-minded Tennesseans at the Capitol as Wetlands Bill HB0541/SB0670 developed.
While we are disappointed by the final legislation regarding development capabilities on wetlands, we believe this critical coalition helped to reduce the potential impact and preserve protections for many of our state’s most vulnerable ecosystems.
“For the last two years, the conservation and wildlife community have been working at the General Assembly to ensure our state maintains common sense measures to conserve wetlands,” Tennessee Wildlife Federation (TWF) added in a statement.
“Tennessee Wildlife Federation and other conservation organizations worked with state representatives to find a compromise solution to address wetland regulation. HB0541/SB0670 passed both the House and Senate with amended language that reduced the negative impact of the original bill,” TWF continued.
Read the full Wetlands Bill statement from our partnering organizations below:
“For the last two years, the conservation and wildlife community have been working at the General Assembly to ensure our state maintains common sense measures to conserve wetlands. As hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts, we rely on the value these wetlands provide to wildlife and water quality. Maintaining protection of the vast majority of these areas was crucial in our work this year. The bill as initially filed would have impacted over 300,000 acres of vital wetland habitat in the state. Through diligent work, and with the help of Sen. Page Walley (R-Savannah) and Sen. Shane Reeves (R-Murfreesboro), the conservation community was able to amend that bill to bring this impact down to an estimated 70,000 acres across Tennessee.
A number of conservation organizations working in Tennessee and across the country, including the Tennessee Wildlife Federation, the National Wildlife Federation, Ducks Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy in Tennessee, Wolf River Conservancy, TennGreen Land Conservancy, The Open Space Institute, Safari Club International, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, and the American Sportfishing Association—made maintaining these common sense measures for wetlands a top priority in the 2025 legislative session.
While no legislation is ever perfect, we believe this compromise is a significant improvement over previous versions and should help prevent large scale loss of our remaining isolated wetlands. Under the compromise, wetlands of smaller size and lower resource value will fall under a less restrictive regulatory framework than they do under current law, while leaving larger wetlands and those of higher habitat value under appropriately strict regulatory frameworks. Thank you to our supporters and allies who worked to protect our Tennessee wildlife and habitat. We will continue our work in this important effort.”
–Tennessee Wildlife Federation
TennGreen Land Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) environmental nonprofit and the oldest accredited statewide land conservancy in Tennessee. TennGreen’s mission is to conserve land where people and nature can thrive. Through sound science and partnerships, TennGreen identifies and conserves land across Tennessee for wildlife corridors, critical habitat, and public benefit. TennGreen protects, cares for, and connects people with Tennessee’s natural world by providing meaningful outdoor experiences, establishing conservation easements, supporting restoration efforts, and acquiring (or assisting in the acquisition of) privately held land. To learn more, visit tenngreen.org.
