The impact on wetlands if Senate Bill 582 becomes law

ONSLOW COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) - Some environmentalists are concerned over Senate Bill 582, saying it will remove the protection of wetlands and affect one million acres of land if passed.

Senate Bill 582 will lower the fines for cutting timber near bodies of water and remove the protection of wetlands.

The bill does not relate to all of the wetlands across the state. The bill focuses more on ditches and pieces of land that are not near a body of water.

Kerri Allen with NC Coastal Federation told WITN that the bill will hurt the economy of North Carolina.

“When you tie it back into the economy and think about the millions of dollars that the state has spent in flood reduction programs and resiliency programs and all of these things to help prevent flooding,” said Allen. “We are now really working counter to ourselves, unfortunately.”

Allen is also concerned about what the change could mean during storms.

“A single acre of wetlands can hold one million gallons of stormwater,” said Allen. “When you think that over a million acres of wetlands are going to lose protections in North Carolina. That is a lot of water that those wetlands aren’t going to be holding anymore.”

The House made adjustments to the wording of the bill last week. The bill will now go back to the North Carolina Senate where a vote will take place. If the Senate finalizes the language of the bill, it will then go to Gov. Roy Cooper’s desk.

If Gov. Cooper vetoes the bill, legislative Republicans will still have enough votes that will allow them to overturn the veto.