By Jonathan Witte / Herald Forum

When I was a kid my friends and I rode our bikes to a local swamp not far from my house. We spent hours exploring, maybe catching the occasional frog. Swamps weren’t considered to be worth very much unless filled in to build something on them, perhaps houses, or as the case in my hometown, a school.

I’ve learned more about “swamps” now known as wetlands, since those days. They are worth much more than simply being a real estate commodity. They perform a vital role in protecting the well-being of our environment.

As a retired physician, I am particularly aware of and am grateful for the benefits that wetlands also provide for our health. They filter and clean our water by absorbing pollutants. They absorb and slow storm runoff to help prevent flooding. Wetlands remove more carbon from the atmosphere than do forests. Wetlands have also been shown to improve our mental health by providing an access to contact with nature.

Right now our wetlands in Snohomish County are under attack.

The Snohomish County Council is in the process of revising policies relating to Critical Area Regulations, which are part of an updated Snohomish County Comprehensive Plan. The original Ordinance (24-097) proposed by the county’s Planning and Development Services would increase current buffer zones between wetlands and developments.

This proposal was based on scientific studies that determined that such changes would help improve water quality and restore salmon populations. However, an amendment has been introduced that would significantly reduce the size of these buffer zones and even allow some to be eliminated completely. The purported reason for this is to allow for more housing to be built.

This does not have to be an “either or decision.” The council has already made changes to zoning density requirements that will allow for more housing to be constructed and at the same time preserve our critical wetlands.

On May 14 the County Council will hold a public hearing and meet for a final vote on this ordinance with the proposed amendment. I urge you to contact your County Council representative and tell them to pass Ordinance (24-097) without the amendment.

Dr. Jonathan Witte lives in Everett and is a member of the Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility.