Last month the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced it will likely scale back regulations for the wetlands it covers, but some conservationists are worried about the potential impact on North Carolina’s waterways.
The EPA says it wants to hear from farmers and others about how federal interference impacts their land use. The outcome of those talks could lead to reductions of areas covered by the landmark Clean Water Act.
Some environmentalists are concerned that reducing protections could lead to degraded waterways.
Manley Fuller is vice president of conservation policy for the North Carolina Wildlife Federation. He says what may start out as a mountain bog will ultimately lead to the ocean.
“So protecting waterways from the headwaters to the estuaries is really important and the elimination of these tools to help protect those areas is, in our view, bad policy,” he says.
Fuller says the wetlands absorb pollution, provide habitat for wildlife, and slow the flow of water to reduce floods.
He says their protection also supports thousands of North Carolina jobs that rely on clean water.