Here we are once again replaying last year's fiasco with special interests trying to weaken the regulation and enforcement of the Hillsborough County's wetlands protections.
After six months of heated debate and hundreds of citizens campaigning against the elimination of the wetland division, our Environmental Protection Commission compromised last summer.
The "hybrid" plan addressed three issues:
First, to lean more heavily on science guiding decisions regarding wetlands issues.
Second, to better coordinate with other wetlands reviewing agencies to streamline processes.
Third, to better clarify wetlands rules to avoid the perception of subjective decision-making on the part of staff.
All three of these goals have been reached in the time promised by EPC staff.
However, this is not enough for some special interests who once again want to add language to weaken the protection of wetlands. They want to eliminate the EPC from review in rezonings, and they want to rank wetlands according to classes to allow lower classes of wetlands to be destroyed more easily.
The County Commission, which is also the EPC board, should slam the door on these backdoor maneuvers.
The final change to the wetlands rules to implement the hybrid plan is coming before the board for their vote Thursday. The EPC staff has done an admirable job on this issue and should be supported by our EPC board with no amendments from special interests, and no delay.
Our wetlands have great economic as well as environmental value. They are necessary for clean water and flood protection. Let's hope the board votes to protect the public's interest, as they promised, and not weaken our wetland protections.
Denise Layne is a community advocate from Lutz and a candidate for Hillsborough County Commission, District 6.
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