OK, before you lose your head and start thinking this article is about why we should tear down Kermit’s ecosystem for capitalistic gain, listen to Frankie and just “Relax.”

I believe wetland preservation is vital to our ecosystem and environmental balance. However, I also believe the overprotection of lands deemed to be “wetlands,” has stifled in many ways the growth of local economies and areas because of an oversensitivity of trying to protect land that may be more beneficial to Jim Henson instead of his little green friend.

Wetland preservation has been, and as the election grow near, will continue to be, an increasingly popular, polarizing and important discussion taking place. Like most of you, I hear “wetlands” and immediately think of distinct lands, flooded by water … or a swampy, marsh land. But did you know that wetlands aren’t actually wet? I know, right? Mind blown!

According to the definition of wetlands by the Environmental Protection Agency and our own great state of Ohio, wetlands are actually defined by hydric soil found on the property and its ability to filter all the water that is in that area. According to the EPA, “wetlands are areas where water covers the soil, or is present either at or near the surface of the soil all year or for varying periods of time during the year, including during the growing season.”

While groups of people have successfully lobbied and fought to preserve wetlands in our area, the preservation of these lands are directly impacting the funding of our local school systems. And while the individuals who are advocates for these wetlands are doing good for our ecosystem, I bring this up because they are likely the same individuals upset about lack of school funding and increased levies that continually appear on the ballot.

Whenever a developer looks to grow an area, the idea of building on a wetland area is almost a non-starter. In Ohio specifically, the mitigation process is one of the most convoluted and time-consuming ones in our country. Not only does a developer need to hire a consultant, commission a study and invest time into the process, they also have to buy 2.5 acres for every 1 acre of wooded wetland they want to develop. And with mitigation costing $130,000 per acre, they have to cover these costs and guess who pays for it: YOU DO!

Let’s say a questionable piece of property that has been designated a wetland area is being looked at to build residential houses. The property may be 50 total acres and the builder is looking to build out homes on 1-acre lots. The homes the developer is looking to build will have a value of $250,000 each, which equates to approximately $5,000 in property taxes each year for each home, of which, approximately 60 percent goes directly to the school system every year.

That means the school system would get $150,000 every year in additional funds from this new development. But when the developer goes through the regulatory mitigation to procure this land for development, the fees may prevent the developer from buying the entire section and chooses only to purchase 20 acres to develop.

Now while the school system would get approximately $60,000 each year in additional funds from the building and occupancy of these homes with this decision, they will miss out on the 30 potential remaining properties that could not be developed because of the regulations and fees preventing that from happening. That is an additional $90,000 the school system does not get. These are valuable funds that can be used to develop green minds instead of preserving green space that is being used as a political pawn rather than actually preserving our ecosystem.

I know this topic is polarizing, but the idea of developing on wetlands is not an attack on our ecosystem. While many may position it this way, the real challenge lies in untangling and simplifying the convoluted regulations and governmental oversight that handcuff developers, preventing them from growing our communities and schools.

Patrick Burgan is the 2020 president of the Youngstown-Columbiana Association of Realtors.