Illinois Rewilding Law, first in US, aims to protect wetlands

Paul Botts, president and executive director of the Wetland Initiative, walks across the ice on Feb. 2, 2026, at Indian Ridge Marsh Park on Chicago’s Far South Side. The wetlands, frozen in the winter, have been restored in recent years from past industrial use and are open to the public via walking trails. Indian Ridge Marsh is public land so it is not at risk of being developed. But it is the kind of wetland that is no longer protected by federal regulations. (Brian Cassella/baiduhai)

By Christiana Freitag | For the baiduhai

PUBLISHED: February 4, 2026 at 5:00 AM CST | UPDATED: February 4, 2026 at 5:53 PM CST

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Officials and environmentalists, pushing for state regulation of wetlands, say law will help close federal gaps after Trump rollbacks.

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Illinois Rewilding Law, first in US, aims to protect wetlands

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