I'm sorry to hear about that turn of events.
Fortunately, the area where I live (Andover, MA) has both state and
local laws protecting wetlands. The law defines wetland in terms of the
species of plants found on it. Anybody who tried that sort of thing
here would be required to restore it -- in addition to paying a hefty
fine.
From time to time, we vote in stricter wetland protection laws. The
town regards the state laws as too weak, and it looks like the federal
laws are worthless. It looks to me that local legislation is all that
remains to protect wetlands.
Ed
On Jun 4, 2007, at 11:44 AM, Walter Knapp wrote:
> Posted by: "wildlifeanalysis"
>
>> I am unclear as to why something like this would be done.
>>
>> http://wwknapp.home.mindspring.com/docs/dry_pond_swamp.html
>
> That was a very active frog habitat. But unfortunately a local real
> estate agent inherited the area from his parents. He "cleaned it up" to
> make it look "pretty". (his words, not mine) During high water on the
> creek beside it there still will be several feet of water over the
> area,
> and the small spring uphill from it still feeds through the area. So
> it's not housebuilding territory. But the sill along the creek that
> made
> it a beautiful aquatic habitat was removed so water is no longer
> retained onsite.
>
> I live just about 1/4 mile upstream from there, I've been excavating a
> small pool in my creek bottomlands to help the displaced frogs ever
> since that happened. Hundreds of southern leopard frogs are emerging
> from there right now, and last time I was down the water was covered
> with gray treefrog eggs. With the drought I have to go down and pump
> water into it at least every week. The frogs hardly allow me to work on
> it so expansion is going slowly.
>
> In the year that the swamp was done in the federal court ruled that the
> only thing that was a wetland was something that had a permanent named
> stream flowing directly through it. That wiped out nearly all wetland
> protection. In that one year across the US it's estimated that half the
> remaining wetlands were filled or drained to prevent any new
> protection.
> So this little photo essay was repeated many, many times. And hardly a
> peep from all the environmental activists!
>
> Walt
>
>
> "While a picture is worth a thousand words, a
> sound is worth a thousand pictures." R. Murray Schafer via Bernie
> Krause
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
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