President Bush's support for the
preservation of the nation's wetlands
("no net loss") and an increasing
number of enforcement actions have
brought these once lowly swamps and
marshes to the attention of builders at
all levels. Given these developments
and the increasing scarcity of developable
land in many areas, builders
are finding it pays to work within the
confines of the wetland permitting
process.
What is a Wetland?
Some may ask, "What is so important
about a wetland?" The answer is
that wetlands serve a number of ecologically
important functions. They
provide natural food control, crucial
wildlife habitat, groundwater collection
and recharge, water filtration,
and, in many cases, human recreation
as well. The ecosystem cannot survive
without them.
There are a number of