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TDEC proposes streamlined permitting, new wetland tiers and mitigation fund; builders and conservationists clash
Summary
Tennessee environmental officials outlined 18 recommendations to clarify wetland definitions, broaden general permits and create a voluntary wetland conservation fund; builders warned of higher costs and property‑rights impacts while conservation groups stressed flood and water‑quality risks. Committee took no votes (study session).
TDEC Commissioner David Salyers told the Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee that the department’s wetlands report and a recent stakeholder summit aim to balance economic growth with long‑term natural‑resource protection. "This does not impact agricultural activities," Salyers said, adding that the process was launched after House Bill 1054 was deferred for further study.
Salyers summarized 18 recommendations including adding a statutory definition for geographically isolated wetlands (GIWs), creating wetland quality tiers (low, moderate, high), and expanding the department’s general permits to speed approvals. He proposed allowing up to 0.5 acre of low‑quality wetland impacts under a general permit and up to 2 acres using a proposed voluntary wetland conservation fund as an "easy button" mitigation option intended to move reviews…
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