Richard Sieg

October 24, 2006

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposed a plan to ease restrictions for Mississippi development of "low quality" federally-protected wetlands. However, critics believe this plan would leave the already hurricane-ravaged region more prone to flooding.

"The plan . . . would allow developers to fill in up to five acres of ‘low quality' wetlands in southern Mississippi without obtaining an individual permit from the Corps." Currently, development greater than one-half an acre requires a permit. The new plan would also eliminate any requirement to notify the public of these projects.

David Hobbie, a Corps' chief in Mobile, Alabama, believes that this streamlining of regulatory procedures would eliminate unnecessary red tape in an area hard hit by Katrina. On the other hand, environmentalists argue that this change would severely impact wetlands needed to control flooding from storms. These critics question the wisdom of rebuilding the homes destroyed by floodwaters in areas more prone to future flooding.

Howard Page, the conservation chairman for the Sierra Club's Mississippi chapter, raises another concern: "'[e]asing government oversight of wetlands projects and cutting the public out of the process isn't the solution to the region's housing shortage. . . .They're solving the problem by avoiding the problem,' he said."

Those who wish to comment on the new plan have until the November 10, 2006 deadline.

All quotes and information are from Michael Kunzelman, Corps Plan for Miss. Wetlands Questioned (Associated Press October 20, 2006). For more information, this article may be found at http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/10/20/national/a001113D58.DTL