Georgia is a state rich with historical evidence which proves losing it's environmental condition can result in a population of people living in poverty.  My family suffered as share croppers trying to farm on red clay after all top soil was lost after deforestation and the erosion that followed over a hundred years ago.  A book named "The Greening of Georgia" by Harold Brown will serve you well if you want to learn and be grateful for the quality of life we share today, after we ruined our land and water resources to the point of losing our jobs, animals and fish. 

The economy of Haiti and the living conditions in that country are a serious modern day reminder of Georgia's past mistakes.  A primary difference is that Haiti doesn't have a free enterprise system that allows it's citizens to pull themselves out of the disaster they're forced to live in on a day by day basis. 

So the question we must ask ourselves today while sitting in our comfortable chair drinking our cup of favorite water filled beverage is this; Must American citizens be forced to tolerate the overwhelming sediment and pollution loads coming from modern day agricultural practices, timber harvesting and construction because of the jobs they provide? Most of us say "NO".  

So the argument today is not "Should we protect our watersheds while our population grows?".  But instead the question should be "How do we comply with the laws already in place that protect our watersheds while maintaining a healthy and thriving business?"

Who pays for the design, installation and maintenance of the stormwater pollution prevention plans (SWPPPs) and the best management practices (BMPs) we use to keep the mud and other pollutants out of our watersheds?  Is it the government, environmentalist, or the construction company?  Of course the answer is the company.  This can be a heavy burden on a company, but so can losing the clean water to the guy "downstream". The lives of the business owners with all their financial obligations are just as important as the macro invertebrates and endangered Cherokee Darter that live in the creek. Ultimately we depend on one another in this vast ecosystem called America. The root of the ongoing controversy in our country today is; how do we balance economic growth and healthy water quality?