Looking at this photo along with the Fish & Wildlife Service wetlands map posted above, it's pretty obvious to me there are wetlands immediately to the north and west of the Sackett's lot ... which, as you can see, has been completely stripped and probably filled in this picture.
If you read the briefs filed with the courts you will see as a "finding of fact" that the Sacketts filled approximately 0.5 acres of their 0.63 acre lot. That means they filled in almost 80% of the lot.
I don't see any Fish & Wildlife "wetlands" map.
But we're arguing around the fundamental issue here. Which is:
Should the federal government (and the EPA) have controlling authority over every mud puddle in the country?
Based on my own experience, such rulings can go beyond the absurd. And, if everybody in town thought the lot was buildable and a permit was issued, I would conclude that this was one of those rulings that went beyond the absurd.
What we should all be arguing is that the EPA shouldn't have any friggin' authority to do what they've done to these people.
And I wish them the best in sticking it up the EPA's butt.
I just looked at the aerials. Is there a natural explanation for this lot, and only this lot, being built up like a table, higher than any of the surrounding property, side to side and front to back?