Effectiveness of Compensatory Wetland Mitigation in Massachusetts
Topics: Environment
Common to many big box plans to build on or near wetland areas is the promise to create a man-made version of a natural eco-system. Although there are many companies that are willing to take Wal-Mart’s money, appear before town boards, and speak persuasively to local officials about their ability to replicate a wetlands, the track record on replication is poor. The only aspect that replication appears to satisfy is size. Few of the many other factors that make a wetlands a wetlands, are reproduced. This giant flaw in any wetland replication proposal is important to point out in the public hearing process. Finding allies, like local watershed councils, state organizations, or other environmental groups will bring added weight and expertise to this claim.
