BRUNSWICK, Ga. — A coastal Georgia landowner has agreed to restore 700 acres of wetlands that were damaged when he illegally built more than two miles of roads and ditches.
Wayne Hutcheson struck an agreement in federal court Wednesday with several environmental organizations. The Southern Environmental Law Center said Hutcheson broke state and federal laws by building the roads and ditches, which interrupted the natural flow of freshwater and allowed saltwater to intrude.
The Florida Times-Union reports Hutcheson has agreed to replant 5,000 to 6,000 native trees and the land will be protected by the Georgia Land Trust. He will also breach the roads and plug the ditches.