Cookie Control

This site uses cookies to store information on your computer.

Some cookies on this site are essential, and the site won't work as expected without them. These cookies are set when you submit a form, login or interact with the site by doing something that goes beyond clicking on simple links.

We also use some non-essential cookies to anonymously track visitors or enhance your experience of the site. If you're not happy with this, we won't set these cookies but some nice features of the site may be unavailable.

By using our site you accept the terms of our Privacy Policy.

(One cookie will be set to store your preference)
(Ticking this sets a cookie to hide this popup if you then hit close. This will not store any personal information)

New Wetlands Guidelines Draw Fire

November 28, 2001

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers adopted new internal guidelines on Oct. 31, 2001, to standardize management of wetlands mitigation projects, sparking strong protests from a range of groups and agencies. The guidelines came after critical reports published earlier in the year by the National Research Council and the General Accounting Office. Mitigation projects are required of developers, farmers, and others to compensate for destruction of existing wetlands or other aquatic resources.

Environmentalists say the guidelines have many flaws. For instance, the Corps now says a 50-foot width will normally be adequate for vegetated stream buffers, while other jurisdictions have adopted widths of 100-200 feet. Environmentalists also say the Corps used a mechanism, the "Regulatory Guidance Letter," that allows it to avoid review by other agencies or the public.

 

SEJ Publication Types: 
Topics on the Beat: 
Visibility: