LANSING, MI (MPRN)-- The state Senate's Natural Resources Committee is expected to vote on a bill deregulating Michigan's small wetlands Tuesday.
The bill would remove protections from about fifty percent of Michigan's wetlands, according to the Michigan Wetlands Association.
They say the bill could lead to loss of habitat for wildlife, and increased flooding in developed areas of southern Michigan.
Senator Tom Casperson is the bill's sponsor. He says his bill would have little effect on most of Michigan's protected wetlands.
I would argue most of the wetlands nothing is going to change, other than these handful of projects that I'm talking about, and they're scattered throughout the state.
But Casperson couldn't offer any data or reports to support his estimate of the bill's impact.
He says he's working with the EPA to make sure the bill is in compliance with federal wetlands regulations.