By Catherine M. Welch
Wilmington, NC – The Division of Water Quality is holding a hearing Wednesday night in Carolina Beach seeking public comment on the reclassification of 33 wetland areas.
The Division of Water Quality wants to reclassify these new areas as unique wetlands. That means the land contains habitat essential to threatened or endangered species.
As a unique wetland, the land would receive additional protection. Spokesperson for Water Quality, Susan Massengale, says that includes limiting permits only to projects that meet a public need.
If those projects are deemed appropriate then mitigation will need to take place. And that mitigation will have to take place in the same watershed and have to be of the same wetland type.
The 33 wetland areas up for reclassification include the Cape Fear River Basin, Green Swamp Small Depression Pond and the Lumber River Basin.