Wetlands Are Finally Getting the Respect They Deserve.

A bill introduced by Senator Gary Peters in the Michigan Senate (S1235) would protect more than 100 tiny public wetlands from drainage and development.

Peters believes state regulators have ignored these small sites despite a 1996 state report, The Critical Non-Contiguous Wetlands of Michigan, that recommended protection because of their unique characteristics and importance to local ecosystems.

More than 350 small wetlands--each less than five acres in size--on both public and private property were identified in the study.

The bill would place 110 of these sites under state Department of Environmental Quality supervision and require local governments, agencies and other units of government that own the land to obtain state permits to construct roads, nature paths, golf courses or anything else on or near the wetlands.

Although the wetlands may be tiny, their cumulative effect on the environment is mighty, according to scientists. These areas play in important role in filtering toxic pollutants, controlling flooding and providing a home for wildlife.

Virginia also has taken action to protect nontidal wetlands. These seasonally saturated fields and forests are located along the Hampton Roads area and have been disappearing since the 1600s due to development, more recently often at a rate of 2,000 acres per year.

Beginning in October 2001, developers and property owners must obtain permits and replace wetlands that are lost due to new construction of homes, roads and shopping malls.

In addition, the state prohibited the unregulated draining of wetlands effective July 1, 2000. The land clearing practice, referred to as Tulloch ditching, has led to the loss of 2,600 acres of nontidal wetlands since 1998. Another 7,500 acres were at risk of bulldozing and development.

By passing the legislation, Virginia joins Maryland and Pennsylvania in protecting the Chesapeake Bay watershed and its water quality.

The wetlands protection bill proved to be the most controversial environmental issue of Virginia's 2000 General Assembly and was 11 years in the making. Although the bill did not have the support of local lawmakers, the cause was championed by others within the watershed.

Getting the measure approved was "the most challenging experience of my years in Richmond," says sponsor Senator Mary Margaret Whipple. Although Governor Jim Gilmore is a strong proponent of property rights, he requested only a minor change in the bill from the legislature. By signing the bill into law, Gilmore is fulfilling a 1997 pledge to increase wetlands during his tenure as governor.

In Minnesota, a St. Paul neighborhood has restored a wetland to its natural state, knocking down an old strip mall that had been built on top of a marshy lake. The redevelopment project is believed to be the first of its kind in the nation. Volunteers are working with school children to plant native vegetation around the lake in what used to be the parking lot.

The project is spawning redevelopment in the area; a state office building and senior citizen apartments will be built nearby.