Thank you Hydrologist for trying to put things in perspective for other people. I'd just like to add that clearcutting is a forestry practice that is followed by reforestation. Forestry clearcutting does not affect water quality because of the reforestation and because logging practices must adhere to NC's Forest Practices Guidelines Related to Water Qaulity. The preamble of the Sedimentation Pollution Control Act of 1973 even states that "Sedimentation occurs from the erosion or depositing of soil and other materials into the waters, principally from construction sites and road maintenance." What developers do is land conversion. The author of this article and the Friends of Lake Waccamaw are irresponsible (and probably ignorant) for making this proposed land conversion sound like a forestry issue.