Yesterday’s story about King County allowing developers who destroy wetlands to purchase “mitigation credits” instead of restoring wetland functions cited support from homebuilders Quadrant Homes and the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties and the conservation group People For Puget Sound. Why the latter? Quote: ‘“While the first preference is for projects to do no harm and then to mitigate onsite, we are pleased that King County has proposed this innovative and forward-thinking plan which will address losses of storm water infiltration,” Executive Director Tom Bancroft said in a statement.’ OK, I don’t get it: You mean, “if you can’t fight ‘em, join ‘em?’ Why not just go to the mat protecting wetlands? County executive proposes new wetlands process
http://snovalleystar.com/2011/11/30/county-executive-proposes-new-wetlands-process
Editor’s Note:
I was a board of directors member from 2006 to 2011 with People For Puget Sound. I no longer am a member of the organization but I have a bit of background here.
I think that Executive Director Tom Bancroft is showing his lack of understanding of the history of the Master Builder’s Association and the history of the county rolling over to the needs of the MBA.. When someone like Tom comes into town from the east coast, it may seem easy to jump on a bandwagon like this. And so it goes. Another environmental organization sells out to gain a modicum of support when it doesn’t need to. This is no different than the decades of east side neglect that Ron Sims implemented while we watched what little wetlands that existed over there wiped out. Dow now continues that and has got a new comer like Tom to back it. “Mitigation credits” are just another diversion from solving the real problem, which is making wetlands off limits to developers. You won’t reclaim these wetlands. It rarely ever works.