Tag Archives: wetlands
Pellet Industry Threatens Wetland Forests and Climate
Written by Heather Hillaker, a Staff Attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center
We are in the midst of a global climate and biodiversity crisis, and the wood pellet and biomass industries, which claim to be a solution, are threats to both. Cutting down and burning growing forests for electricity actually emits more carbon dioxide than burning coal. These actions will increase atmospheric carbon for at least the next several decades—the exact time when we need to be drastically reducing emissions— while also degrading our native forests.
Wood pellets are made mostly from living trees, which are taken to pellet mills, ground into chips, dried, and formed into pellets. Enviva, the world’s largest wood pellet manufacturer, currently operates nine pellet mills throughout the southeast—six of which source a large amount of wood from North and South Carolina. Enviva acknowledges that 83% of its wood comes directly from forests, including forests within these two states (see map).

Impacts to Wetlands
Over the last decade, independent, on-the-ground investigations have uncovered that Enviva’s northeastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia mills often relied on mature trees taken from forested wetlands. Most of this harvesting is happening within the Coastal Plain, an area that was designated in 2016 as a global biodiversity hotspot because of its high species richness and endemism. Less than a third of this area’s native vegetation remains. Harvesting for pellet mills is exacerbating existing pressures on these forests and contributing to the degradation of these valuable ecosystems, including iconic wetland forests.
The wetland forests that dot the Carolina coasts are some of North America’s most valuable ecosystems. They improve water quality, protect against floods, and provide critical wildlife habitats— especially for migratory songbirds that are appreciated by even the most casual nature-lovers. But despite these immense benefits, most of these incredible forests have already been lost, and what remains now are subjected to clearcutting to produce wood pellets that are shipped overseas to be burned for electricity.

Impacts to Communities
The biomass and wood pellet industries aren’t just bad for forests, they hurt the climate and nearby communities too. Even though it is touted as “clean energy”, burning wood pellets from forests for electricity increases the amount of carbon dioxide pollution in the atmosphere for 40-100 years, worsening climate change. Moreover, the pellet mills located throughout the southeast, including Enviva’s pellet mills in North and South Carolina, release harmful pollutants and dust negatively impacting the health of those living nearby. These mills are built primarily in low-wealth communities of color, where people are already overburdened by an unfair share of pollution.
Let’s be clear, the wood pellet and biomass industries are not clean energy, and as the U.S. moves towards real climate action, we must make sure that our policies promote genuine low-carbon renewable energy sources. We cannot afford to make the same mistakes as European countries that offer billions of dollars in government subsidies to these harmful industries. Our climate, forests, and communities depend on the U.S. making the right choice by excluding forest biomass from any clean energy policy.
Call to Action
You can help by signing this petition to tell President Biden that biomass is not a part of our clean energy future.
About the Author
Heather Hillaker is a Staff Attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center who specializes in issues surrounding the use of forest-derived biomass for energy. Heather is actively involved in SELC’s UK, US, and state-level work on the issue, including efforts to strengthen protections for communities living near wood pellet plants.
Wetlands Role in Water Quality
Abstract
One of the most important functions of wetlands is the ability to purify water and preserve water quality. Despite the integral role of wetlands in maintaining healthy ecosystems, they continue to be at risk of impacts by development, lack of legal protections, pollution, and the negative influences of climate change. Wetlands provide numerous ecosystem services; one of which being their ability to improve water quality and help in maintaining water quantity. These critical services are only expected to become more important as freshwater becomes an increasingly limited resource. It is therefore imperative that efforts are taken to preserve and restore our nation’s wetlands in order to retain our natural healthy waterways.
Blue Carbon: The Ecosystem Service Hidden Beneath Your Feet
Wetlands and Climate Change
Abstract
Climate change is the rise in average surface temperatures on Earth, mostly due to the burning of fossil fuels. Climate change is causing intensifying storm activity, rising sea levels and creating more
frequent floods and droughts in the Carolinas and worldwide. Recent,
significant storm events in North and South Carolina include Hurricane Florence (2018), Hurricane Matthew (2016) and Hurricane Floyd (1999).

Increased storm activity is having a huge economic and environmental impact on our coastal and inland communities in the Carolinas. Hurricane Matthew caused an estimated $4.8 billion in damages. Hurricane Floyd caused between $7 and $9.4 billion, and the damage from Hurricane Florence was estimated to be nearly $17 billion – more than Matthew and Floyd combined
Wetlands play a critical role to help mitigate increased storm activity caused by climate change by retaining floodwater, stormwater and storm surges. Because of their critical importance during these storm events, wetland protection and conservation is essential to combating the effects of climate change in the Carolinas.
Problem Statement
Climate change is here. As defined by NASA, climate change refers to long-term changes in the average weather patterns that have come to define Earth’s local, regional and global climate1. Climate change causes increased temperatures and storm activity, contributes to rising sea levels, elevates storm surges and causes more frequent flooding. The economic impact of recent, intense storm activity in the Carolinas has been devastating over the last 10 years. In 2018, Hurricane Florence produced a record storm surge of 9 to 13 feet and caused catastrophic flooding inland for days2. More than 50 people died across the region; 42 in North Carolina alone. North Carolina’s Governor Roy Cooper estimated Florence’s damage in North Carolina at $17 billion—an amount more than Hurricane Matthew and the previous historic hurricane, Floyd in 1999, combined2.
Flooding not only causes property damage, but also impacts public health and overall well-being in our communities3. Flooding can destroy a home, leaving it uninhabitable. There are also numerous hidden dangers in flood waters that create a public health risk: live wires, broken glass, and sharp metal as well as bacteria and other pathogens4.
Background
There is general agreement amongst the scientific community that climate change is real. Also referred to as global warming, climate change is causing a rise in average surface temperatures on around the globe1. 2019 was the warmest year on record in North Carolina. In the Carolinas, scientists have observed an increase in annual average temperature by 1.0o F since 1895. In North Carolina, the last 10 years (2009 – 2018) represented the warmest 10-year period on record5. In Charleston, South Carolina, 2019 was the fourth-warmest year on record, which ended the warmest decade to date6. In addition to rising temperatures, climate change is intensifying storm activity, rising sea levels and causing more frequent floods and droughts worldwide. The Carolinas have experienced several major hurricanes in the last 5 years, including Hurricane Matthew (2016), Florence (2018) and Dorian (2019). These hurricanes caused widespread flooding in dozens of coastal communities, resulting in billions of dollars in property damage. Extreme flooding events occurred during hurricanes Matthew (2016) and Florence (2018) in North and South Carolina5. Florence was a historic storm, breaking 28 flood records across North and South Carolina7. Some of the flooding records are over 75 years old, including the Northeast Cape Fear River near Chinaquapin, NC (78 years) and the Little Pee Dee River at Galivants Ferry, SC (77 years).
Solution
Wetlands play an absolutely critical role in mitigating the impacts of climate change, by retaining floodwater, stormwater and storm surges. Wetlands also store, or sequester, excess carbon in the atmosphere through photosynthesis8. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is absorbed by wetland plants during photosynthesis and is retained in the plants’ biomass (roots, shoots, tree bark and leaves) and in the soil as soil organic matter.

When an area floods with water, surrounding wetlands act like a giant sponge; living plants and even the dead plant matter along with porous soils can absorb the extra water. Wetlands also help slow down the movement of floodwater to surrounding areas – which would otherwise impact homes and businesses. In coastal areas, marsh wetlands protect shorelines from erosion by buffering wave action and trapping sediments. They reduce flooding by slowing and absorbing rainwater and protect water quality by filtering runoff. Coastal marshes can also migrate landward (Figure below). Trapped sediments allow the marshes to rise in elevation, which helps mitigate the effects of sea level rise (SLR).Because of their ability to mitigate sea level rise, absorb rainwater, retain floodwater and store atmospheric carbon dioxide, wetland protection and conservation is essential in the Carolinas.

Wetlands can be protected and conserved in a number of ways:
- By not developing or impacting wetlands (e.g., filling, ditching),
- By placing wetlands under protective easement (e.g., conservation easement).
- If you live on waterfront property, wetlands can be protected by installing a “living shoreline” (see photo below) – a mix of plant roots, sand and stone instead of man-made structures, like retaining walls, to stabilize the soil.

Conclusion
Climate change isn’t going away. Climate change intensifies storm activity, and scientists predict an increase in tropical storm frequencies from 1-10% in coming years10. Wetlands play a critical role to help offset the impacts of climate change by retaining floodwater, stormwater and storm surge. Wetlands also hold tremendous value as a climate change mitigator through their ability to sequester carbon within the organic content in the soil.

The impacts of climate change on local communities can be significantly lessened by protecting local wetlands. The can be done by:
- Avoiding the development or impact of wetlands (e.g., filling, ditching);
- Avoiding wetlands if planning a home, building, shed or farm field expansion; and
- By placing wetlands under protective easement (e.g., conservation easement).
- Wetlands can be protected by installing a “living shoreline” (see photo) to stabilize the soil – a mix of plant roots, sand and stone instead of man-made structures, like retaining walls.
There are a number of existing wetland protection programs in place in the Carolinas, and these programs greatly benefit from volunteer contributions and involvement:
- North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Mitigation Services
- North Carolina Coastal Land Trust
- South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control
- North Carolina Coastal Federation
References
- NASA’s Climate Center “Overview: Weather, Global Warming and Climate Change” [Online]. Available: https://climate.nasa.gov/resources/global-warming-vs-climate-change/ [Accessed July 1, 2020].
- Economic impact of Florence: https://insideclimatenews.org/news/27122018/hurricane-damage-north-carolina-climate-change-2018-year-review-florence-michael-matthew#:~:text=Hurricane%20Florence%20produced%20a%20record,Carolina%20alone%20at%20%2417%20billion.
- Economic impact: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/technology/article215476785.html
- Health Impacts of Flooding: https://edmdigest.com/resources/florence-flooding/
- Kunkel, K.E., R. Easterling, A. Ballinger, S. Biligin, S.M. Champion, D.R. Corbett, K.D. Dello, J. Dissen, J.M. Lackmann, R.A. Lutteich, Jr., L.B. Perry, W.A. Robinson, L.E. Stevens, B.C. Stewart, and A.J. Terando, 2020: North Carolina Climate Science Report. North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies, 233 pp. https://ncics.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NC_Climate_Science_Report_FullReport_Final_revised_May2020.pdf
- https://abcnews4.com/news/local/noaa-2019-was-the-2nd-hottest-year-on-record
- https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article222615945.html
- Association of State Wetland Managers: “Carbon Sequestration” [Online]. Available: https://www.aswm.org/wetland-science/wetlands-and-climate-change/carbon-sequestration
- DCERP (2018). Defense Coastal/Estuarine Research Program 2 Final Report. Retrieved from https://dcerp.serdp-estcp.org/Portals/0/FinalReports/RC2245_DCERP2_Final_Report.pdf
- https://www.gfdl.noaa.gov/global-warming-and-hurricanes/
- Michener, W.K., E.R. Blood, K.L. Bildstein, M.M. Brinson and L.R. Gardner. Climate Change, Hurricanes and Tropical Storms, and Rising Seal Level in Coastal Wetlands. 1997. Ecological Applications, Vol. 7, No. 3, pp. 770-801.
- C. Kozak, “Restoration Work – A Test for Carbon Farming,” Coastal Review Online, 01-Aug-2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.coastalreview.org/2019/01/restoration-work-a-test-for-carbon-farming/. [Accessed: 11-Feb-2020].
Written by:

Heather Patti, PWS is a Senior Ecologist and Project Manager at TRC Companies, specializing in wetland and stream delineation, permitting and endangered species assessments for the renewable energy industry. Heather is a proud mother of 2 boys, Ben and Wyatt, and in her free time enjoys hiking, camping, botanizing and kayaking. She is a terrible fisherman.
Amphibians: Rising in Fall
WRRI Annual Conference: Wetland Session
Carolina Wetlands Association and NC WRRI will host a Virtual Annual Conference session on wetlands research in North Carolina. The free webinar will offer updates on ongoing studies, as well as news on how wetlands are gaining further protections so they can continue to provide valuable ecosystems services.
- Michael Burchell, NC State University, Removing detritus to rehabilitate older constructed wetlands used in wastewater treatment
- Melinda Martinez, NC State University, Greenhouse gas emissions from standing dead trees in coastal forested wetlands
- Brock Kamrath, NC State University, Preliminary assessment of nitrogen treatment in a tertiary constructed wetland following detritus removal
Wetlands in the Winter: What’s Happening?
Winter and early spring is an important time for wetlands across North and South Carolina. First, wetlands are easier to find in the winter with high rainfall and no vegetation growth allowing water to sit at the surface. This standing water provides needed habitat for migrating birds and breeding amphibians. Also, lack of leaves and pesky mosquitoes make winter the perfect time to explore the different types of wetlands across the landscape.
Water Level (a.k.a. Wetland Hydrology)
Wetlands are defined by the amount, duration, and occurrence of standing water or saturated soil (referred to as wetland hydrology). Non-tidal wetlands like headwater wetlands, riverine swamps and pocosins fill with water in the winter and early spring until plants and trees start to grow and pump the water out to the atmosphere through evapotranspiration. If you explore a wetland in the winter, you may need to wear rubble boots to keep your feet dry.

Import Habitat for Migratory Birds
Wetlands across North and South Carolina provide refuge in the winter for migratory birds like snow geese and tundra swans that fly south to avoid harsh winters in the Northern US and Canada. The loss of wetlands across the Southeast US has forced some species to adapt by feeding in fallow agriculture fields. Luckily, many state and federal lands across the Coastal Plain of the Carolinas provide vital habitat for these birds and create opportunities for us to catch a glimpse of these majestic animals.

Where can you find tundra swans?
- Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge (NC)
- Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge (NC)
- Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge (NC)
- Bear Island Wildlife Management Area (SC)
Breeding Grounds for Amphibians
Wetlands are also critical habitat for many reptiles and amphibians because they depend on water for part of their life. Most amphibians lay eggs under water or on moist land. Once the eggs hatch, the baby amphibians must live in water until they form lungs and leave the water as adults. Eggs of some species are laid in the fall and survive in a gel-like substance until wetlands fill with water. Even as adults, wetlands are an important source of food for amphibians. Step carefully and keep your eyes looking down for signs of salamanders and other amphibians. To learn more about these creatures, join us at the NC Museum of Natural Science’s Reptile and Amphibian Day on March 14.

Go Explore a Wetland!
Wetlands in the winter are working just as hard as they are the rest of the year and provide opportunities to see species that you can’t see other times of the year. Here are some resources to help you find a wetland near you :
Share pictures of your favorite wetland with us on Facebook!
Article written by Kim Matthews (kim.matthews@carolinawetlands.org).
Wetlands Matter: Networking and Information Sharing Event
Come learn about the Carolina Wetlands Association and the work the organization is doing to advance the understanding, protection and enjoyment of wetlands throughout North and South Carolina. Our 2019 calendars featuring our Wetland Treasures, magnets, and t-shirts will be available during the event.
AGENDA
5:30 Networking Time
6:00 Guest Speaker: Derb Carter, Southern Environmental Law Center
Mr. Carter will discuss the status of proposed changes the Waters of the U.S. rule and what that means for wetland protection and restoration.
6:30 Overview of the Carolina Wetlands Assocation
Learn about our efforts to get a Ramsar wetland designation in North Carolina, the Wetland Treasures of the Carolinas Program, and our effort to issue a State of the Wetlands report.
7:00 More Networking Time
7:30 Meeting Ends
Food and drinks will be provided! Please register so we know you are coming.
INFLUENCES OF BEAVER ON FORESTED COMMUNITIES IN THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S.
Written by Dr. Carrie DeJaco
Prior to European colonization of North America, beaver (Castor canadensis) were abundant throughout most of the continent. Estimates of pre-colonization beaver populations are between 60 million and 200 million individuals, with at least 20 million beaver-built dams. By the year 1900, beaver had been extirpated from the eastern half of North America and the species was hanging on by small remnant populations in the west.
Reintroductions of beaver had begun in the southeastern U.S. by the 1940s. With few predators and laws regulating hunting, beaver populations in North American have rebounded. By 1983, beaver were present in 80 of 100 counties in North Carolina but were still largely absent from the Broad, French Broad, Catawba, and Pasquotank river basins—mainly the Charlotte area and the region directly to the west and north of it.
The majority of studies on beaver in North America have been conducted in the northern states and Canada. Larger scale effects found by these studies may be applicable here in the south, but many of the species-specific observations are irrelevant due to the difference in plant species between the northern and southern latitudes. This review of the literature on the impacts of beaver includes the handful of studies conducted in the southeastern U.S.; larger scale patterns observed at northern latitudes will also be discussed, but species-level observations from northern studies will only be included if they are relevant to the southeastern U.S..
Click here to read the entire article.
Beaver Lodge (Franklin County, NC) Photo by Alvin Braswell