Blog Post #10

Ethical Question: 

Ask/address an ethical question in your field of interest. Develop/address arguments for each side of the issue, then defend your position on the issue.

Environmental consulting firm for developmental projects

-never destroy wetlands

-have to destroy for urban sprawl / expansion


The field of interest that this ethical question comes from would be wetland ecology as well as the environmental consulting firm companies. An example of a consulting firm that does this type of work is Normandeau Associates. Normandeau Associates works on environmental planning, permitting, documentation and natural resources. These firms are typically working with various agencies “to develop and operate in a manner that promotes the protection of natural resources while meeting project objectives.”1  Firms are used during major land development projects, when groups or a business or a city want to develop land to expand that area. Issues arise during site selection, when developers have a plan that possibly poses a threat to the natural areas that lay outside of the urban sprawl. This is where the environmental consulting firm is contracted to look over the plans of project, and help make ethically, and environmentally sound decisions.

There is an area that is east of a city that contains a wetland, naturally diverse ecosystem containing a large range of wildlife; from small fauna to large fauna; insects to deer. Wetlands play an important role is the surface and groundwater cycles.

The developers see this land as an opportunity to expand their township, they see it that the area would bring in more revenue for the township if it were an extension of it rather a natural area.

If I were a consultant, I would work with the developers as well as the DNR to weigh the pros and cons and the values tied to each item, to figure out what the best next step is. I would look to the other directions of town, north, south, and west, to see if there was a piece of land available for development. It could be possible that there is a less diverse area of land, especially not a wetland, which could be developed. It is just important to keep wetlands in nature, keeping our surface and ground water clean.

A compromise could occur with this: If the wetland was delineated, a protective buffer could be placed around the wetland to preserve the plants and animals as well as let the developers continue with the plan. The process that this uses is that a site visit needs to happen to insure that the area is a wetland. Based on the quality of the water, and other environmental characteristics, the wetland is rated using the Department of Ecology Rating System. 2. The boundaries would then be mapped out, and using GIS or other spatial analysis applications, a buffer around the wetland would be placed, depending on its category.

Personally, I would try to find a new location for the development, and keep the whole natural are intact, but if this was not an option, then the wetland delineation would suffice.

References

1.       http://normandeau.com/pages/environment/services/environmental_planning.asp

2. http://www.ecy.wa.gov/pubs/0406025.pdf