State: Offer your feedback

We invite your feedback on our special report When wet is dry. How important do you think it is to protect wetlands? How would you balance their public benefits with private property rights?

Do you think government promises to safeguard wetlands matches up with government actions? And do you think mitigation banking is the answer to balancing wetlands protection and development?

We ask that your comments relate to today's report and adhere to our guidelines. Story comments are reviewed by an editor before publication. We don't edit posts, but we do reserve the right to delete comments that violate our guidelines.

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Comments on this article

by PR	03/04/08 11:13 AM
The land acts as a natural sponge. Think about what happened with Katrina. Or Florida will end up collapsing into a sink hole. We need to stop draining the wetlands.

by Samantha	12/13/07 01:33 PM
I think they should do something about it its rediculess how they won't do anything about it..

by Chris	07/29/07 06:26 PM
I think this is a great report, and has opened my eyes to what we are doing to our state and what others are doing to our state. It is nice to have big shopping centers, but it is also nice to have wetlands that help our environment!

by Shane	03/31/07 08:46 PM
Outstanding activist journalism.

by Ben	01/15/07 02:51 PM
Is there any way to get an offprint of this series? I serve an elderly, non-computer literate constituency, and would love to be able to have something to distribute at meetings. If you're planning on publishing a book, I'll buy it!

by Burrowing Owl	01/11/07 09:21 PM
My class is getting ready to visit the Cross Bar Ranch for a lesson on wetlands preservation. What a great series to use in preparation for it. Thank you St. Pete Times!

by Dorothy	01/09/07 02:22 PM
Thank you for a very interesting article.I have approx. 40 acres of beautiful wetlands close to Tampa Palms that has been on the ELAP list to purchase for years. I can not continue to wait, with taxes going up I have no choice but to list it with RE

by Constance	01/09/07 08:49 AM
I teach wetlands functions & values to fourth and fifth grades and this story is a call-to-arms to protect our environment. I've been sounding the alarm to my students for a long time and will use your research to promote action! THANKS!

by tony	01/08/07 08:46 PM
This is an impressive series, truly taking advantage of all the Web has to offer. Wetlands are critical components of the coastal ecosystems, and their ongoing loss is a severe threat in many ways.

by Rick	01/03/07 10:35 AM
Wetlands are a major aspect of the ecology and benifit all. Because oof their nature they need room...so they are sometimes expansive. I read with dread of threats to these areas. Protect what we know we need. Florida is fragile and can't take it all

by Tom	12/29/06 12:52 PM
This is a great series that illustrates the history and performance record of wetlands mitigation banks. It should serve as a wakeup call to those involved in efforts to establish mitigation banks to protect other important natural habitats.

by steve	12/28/06 08:42 AM
As an outdoorsman for forty years and a host of an outdoor show for twelve, I've seen the rapid decline of wild Turkeys and other wildlife.The reasons are simple, developers and money.Make them protect as many acres as they develop.

by Dave	12/21/06 10:51 AM
Although disturbing to read, the investigative report on the wetlands is a great reminder of not only why we need the wetlands, but also why we need this type of thorough reporting. Keep up the good work!

by Judy	12/20/06 12:34 AM
Thank you for making the scandalous obliteration of wetlands a front page story. I always thought it was a scam for developers and aided by politicians, but you have truly connected the dots. Awareness is the first step toward change. Great job.

by A Public Servant	12/19/06 09:07 PM
Please all, don't EVER ask your local government to do any road improvements to ease traffic congestion, as it might cause an impact to wetlands. I further suggest you volunteer more tax dollars to buy all the wetlands from their current owners.

by Kelly	12/19/06 03:45 PM
Your article is well researched and informative. As a wetlands ecologist I am thrilled to see you bringing these issues to the general readership.

by Eliana	12/19/06 10:12 AM
This is an excellent report!

by Sandra	12/18/06 08:58 PM
As an avid Florida hiker, I've seen first-hand the destruction wrought by developers. Wastelands where there were once wetlands, and scrub preserves half deep in drainage water. Please tell us how we, the people, can stand up and do something!

by Matt	12/18/06 06:55 PM
This is Matt Waite, one of the authors of the story. Public Servant: we didn't get into UMAM versus WRAP. What we pointed out was that banks are getting credit for dry land. UMAM gives less credits for uplands than WRAP but still gives upland credits

by Max	12/18/06 12:52 PM
I hate for economics to rule over environmental policy. Wetlands are all unique to their own area. You can't just remove one in one part of the state and replace it elsewhere. Our gov't needs to do its job, protect our lands for Floridians.

by A Public Servant	12/18/06 11:32 AM
I will take a wild guess that most of the posters are not native Floridians that they own at least two automobiles, and that many would not be caught dead living in a dense urban area. If people weren't buying, the developers wouldn't be selling!

by A Pubilc Servant	12/18/06 11:26 AM
Dry land already receives less credit under current permit rules. The Florida agencies use a process called UMAM (Uniform Mitigation Assessment Method)which involves determining functional loss versus functional gain. Get your facts straight!

by john	12/18/06 08:38 AM
I am afraid to admit people don't understand the impact of development until the damage has been done. I hope we change course and stop allowing paradise to be paved over and developed. Where is the lorax?

by Russell	12/17/06 05:18 PM
"When Dry is Wet" is a valuable and noteworthy effort by your staff. Keep up the good work.

by Russell	12/17/06 05:15 PM
"When Dry is Wet" again supports my conclusion that there is no endevor so worthy of public support that someone can't twist it around into a private scam.

by Russell	12/17/06 05:11 PM
When Dry is Wet-is another illustration of how development is the one real business of Florida. Everything else is a hand maid or side show.

by Russell	12/17/06 05:04 PM
This series of articles demonstrates clearer than ever the 600 ton locomotive that is development is not to be slowed or delayed in any measure so long as billions are to be made. Since Flagler development has ruled as King in Tallahassee. and will!

by Donna	12/17/06 01:55 PM
What a wonderful, comprehensive report. I have read about this before but nothng impressed me like this article. I plan on joining some group that can be instrumental in stopping the erosion of our wetlands. Thank you!

by JOYCE	12/17/06 11:00 AM
The loss of wetlands in Florida and elsewhere has been ignored even though the ramifications were terribly counted with the astronomical damages of hurricanes in 2004 and 2005. Rebuilding costs to taxpayers and insurance premiums are the fallout.

by Matthew	12/17/06 07:09 AM
Mitigation, the policy that lets developers destroy wetlands by "saving" other wetlands is a shell game and responsible for most of the damage. It assure that wetlands will be developed until there are no more wetlands left in private ownership.

by Stephen	12/17/06 06:08 AM
I have been in this area for over 2 decades and have watched wetlands be destroyed one acre after the next. Granted, landowners have a right to make money on their land, but that doesn't give them the right to destroy the enviroment either!

Offer your feedback

We invite your comments and feedback to our special report When wet is dry.