The Georgia Supreme Court says a 25-foot buffer no longer exists along all state waters.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports the court’s decision Monday overturns a lower court ruling, and says the state Environmental Protection Division did not err when it enacted a new policy saying only some state waters were protected by buffers.

The decision is a setback for environmentalists, who successfully convinced state lawmakers this year to make clear that a 25-foot buffer does exist around many coastal waterways. The newspaper says the court’s decision only applies to non-coastal waterways, where there is no clear delineation of where the water ends and vegetation begins.

Tags: wetlands buffer, vegetative buffers