Monday, February 14, 2011

Isolated wetlands

In recent years a supreme court decision took the power of designating isolated wetlands away from the US Army Corps of Engineers. This has resulted in many important wetland areas being developed. The Corps simply has to 'walk away' if there is no surface water connection to a wetland. States have the power to override this and designate isolated wetlands on their own. I will expand on this topic further later on, but it is important for us to all write to our congressmen and urge them to explore the issue. Development in my state has increased at a very rapid pace, especially in coastal areas, and I have personally seen coastal wetlands disappear because of this loophole.

This photo was taken of a wetland in coastal South Carolina months before it was filled and townhouses were built on the property. The US Army Corps of Engineers could not protect it because of the issue I speak of.

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