Wetlands banking is a bunch of bunk

12/16/05

Why are we paying $150,000 per acre to destroy farm land, and the farmer is paid $2,000 to $4,000 for it, in the pretense of conserving land in the floodplain? This is land that can't be developed, is zoned agriculture and is in the floodplain. Some would fear a cow may crap in the pasture, which is somehow worse than attracting a migratory bird that craps in the same area!

This cover-up is going on under the heading of "wetlands banking" and the holding companies have wonderful "greenie" names to make us and our leaders think all is well! Now these wetland mitigation credits are sold to developers, plus a large part to municipalities and we, the ultimate taxpayer, get the shaft! We are allowing wetlands to be filled on the pretense that by destroying agriculture forever it's all OK! This is going on right here in our county and all is well?

We are about to hear from a loyal watchperson the details of this nasty little secret! Of course, we must depend on the news media to report the story and not be white-washed in the name of wetland protection. Of course, heaven forbid, a baseball field, which can easily be returned to farmland, be built - this might cultivate a young person's mind and teach them there are rules to live by. Our leaders should have played baseball!

Bottom line - we pay - we pay big money and lose our wonderful farmers and the gorgeous land they farm. God bless them!

DENNY PERRIGOUE

Snohomish, WA
Letter to the Editor of
The Daily Herald