Destroying planet to save lives?

Dear Editor:

In the last 28 years we have lived on Camano Island, and one of our family's memorable times was driving along SR 532 between 1-5 and Stanwood.

Our children have witnessed what once were simply ditches along the highway transform into beautiful wetland areas containing cattails and other vegetation contributing to our wonderful clean space and air quality.

Indeed those small, but important, areas were part of the "lungs" of the world.

Every year the state would send a nice lady in an orange vest to flag these pristine areas off so the highway mowers would not destroy them. I would comment to my growing family that we were so lucky to live in a state that valued the environment so much that they hired someone to preserve these small, but indispensable cattail forests.

Recently, while driving this stretch of road with my youngest son, we witnessed these saved sites being destroyed.

I don't know if my youngest son will ever recover from seeing this malicious destruction of what to our little family was "hallowed ground."

I'm sure someone from the state will explain that these wetlands are being replaced by others, but that doesn't soften the blow. Every last one of these areas must be saved or our planet will die.

My son claims that he doesn't breathe as freely now while driving along this road. We now take Hwy. 530 through Silvana to I-5.

It's still green and we don't have to face the destruction.

My point is this, when do we as a society place the beauty and serenity of this planet above what may be the saving of lives by widening roads?

Remember, we humans are the invasive species.

The cattails were here long before us.

Tim McGlinchy Camano Island