Equal protections should be applied to all watersheds

When I worked for the federal government, I often oversaw competitively awarded contracts. Contractors would occasionally tell me that I was being unfair. My response would be that it is my job to look out for the best interests of the government and that my obligation was not to be unfair, but to be equally unfair. Most accepted this bit of sarcasm and recognized that I was being impartial and treating each contractor equally.

When it comes to the Charles County Watershed Conser vation District, I don’t see equal treatment. I agree it is important that resources be conserved and sprawl restricted, but it is also important that property rights be protected. If the western part of Charles County is to be rezoned and property rights abridged to protect the Mattawoman Watershed, then other watershed areas should be subject to similar restrictions.

The Port Tobacco, Kerrick and Zekiah watersheds deserve protection as well. Are the Department of Planning and Growth Management and the Board of County Commissioners willing to take on the stake holders in these areas as they have with Western Charles? That would likely mean restrictions regarding annexations by the Town of La Plata and down-zoning of areas of St. Charles, some of which were up-zoned a few years ago.

J.R. Curtis, La Plata