Vernal pools are small, seasonally-flooded wetlands that reach their maximum size in spring and lack connections to permanent surface waters. These pools harbor a unique suite of species – including aquatic invertebrates and pool-breeding amphibians. Declines in the diverse biological communities that vernal pools support have become concerns in recent decades, particularly in the fragmented forested landscapes of the northeastern U.S. Despite these concerns, many vernal pools are afforded no federal-level protections as a result of two prominent U.S. Supreme Court decisions handed down over the past 15 years. Thus, the importance of regional, state, or local regulations as alternative approaches to conserving vernal pools becomes more evident. What does a technically feasible, publicly supported state policy to protect vernal pools look like? To address this question, we interviewed experts (academics, researchers, consultants, and managers) from 11 northeastern states (Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont) regarding the status of and approaches to vernal pool protection. All 11 states in our case study have established at least some additional regulatory protection for wetlands and six have policies that directly reference vernal pools. We analyzed expert perceptions through the lens of Kingdon’s multiple streams policy development framework. Participants provided a consistent set of criteria for identifying vernal pools, yet offered differing opinions about policy solutions that were primarily based on the political acceptability of approaches. We describe how characteristics of vernal pool protection compared to the three streams necessary for policy to be developed and discuss the ways in which the issue has fallen short of one that would capture the broad attention of legislators and the public.