Jan 19, 2001 — Last week, a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that could remove protections from many of the nation's wetlands sent regulators and environmentalists scrambling to the lawbooks. In New York, around three-quarters of the state's wetlands are located in the St. Lawrence Valley and the Adirondacks. They function as a giant sponge to reduce flooding. They also act like nature's kidney, filtering pollutants out of water. And the food and habitat they provide make the North Country one of the most important migratory flyways in North America. David Sommerstein spoke with those who work with the region's wetlands to see how the Supreme Court decision could play out in the North Country.