The Misguided Wetland Plan that Won’t Go Away

Last October, the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) proposed to make it easier to destroy wetlands up to five acres in size in coastal Mississippi. After much negative press, criticism, and over 7,500 comments from individuals opposed to the plan, it appears the Corps is going to do something different.

Word is that instead of proceeding with its original proposal, the Corps is going to be coming out with a new proposal that will look very different. Those who have worked hard to oppose the plan should feel good that the Corps is going back to the drawing board. Yet, it is unclear what the new proposal might contain, and as they say, the devil is in the details. For that reason, we must remain vigilant because any plan that makes it easier to fill wetlands and removes the public’s oversight role is just plain bad public policy.

In related news, the other day I came across a set of comments submitted by the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) and obtained by Greenwire in support of the Corps’ wetland plan in Mississippi. Because the NABH is one of the few supporters of the plan, I was interested to see what they were saying. To my surprise, there was a section at the end that had been intended for deletion, but remained in the margins as a comment. Here’s what it said:

“Final note: we don’t say much in here about ensuring environmental protection. If something comes to mind, it probably makes sense to include it in a place or two so that it looks like we are supporting streamlining plus appropriate env. protection…”

This quote is telling because we have continually heard from developers that the proposed regional general permit merely improves the permitting process and will not harm wetlands. However, if a major proponent is having a difficult time making the argument that this plan protects the environment, we should all be concerned.

Jeff Grimes is Assistant Director of Water Resources for the Gulf Restoration Network.