Etowah Commission to buy wetland credits for industrial park

The Etowah County Commission is expected to approve spending $24,225 to buy wetland credits for the Little Canoe Creek Industrial Park.  County Chief Administrative officer Patrick Simms has said the county cannot move forward without the credits. 

The commission has about 900 acres for the Little Canoe Creek Industrial Park property just off U.S. Highway 11 near the St. Clair County line. Commissioners plan to promote the property as a large industrial site.

The money to purchase the credits is in the budget, and commissioners expect to approve the purchase at their next meeting.

Officials say the  wetland credit is needed before a road can be built into the site.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers requires the purchase of credits when work is needed to remove a wetland area.

The money for the credits is placed in a wetlands mitigation bank to set up and create a wetland in another area to compensate for the loss of a wetland.