Distance from water bodies and wet lands

Wetlands are natural filters for water bodies, filtering run-off as it moves downstream through a watershed. Protecting them is a first line of defense for the resiliency of the entire watershed, as they are main points of entry (upstream) for bodies of water (downstream). In 2009, wetland boundaries were defined by now outdated FEMA flood maps. The updated versions (to be referenced in v4) have yet to be published; thus, to anticipate what will likely be more stringent boundaries/definitions of wetlands/100-year floodplains, LEED has the "relaxed" wetlands protection lines. LEEDv3 places many limits upon the incorporation of water bodies into projects (i.e. the 100' setback) without allowing for "moments" where buildings and water can connect. V4 allows provisions for small portions of buildings to be on or within these setbacks for both wetlands and bodies of water (based on a maximum square footage allowable). This is a step in the direction of more leniency/understanding that cutting off projects from the water (even for their protection) discourages their social and educational benefits. The imminent danger a body of water poses on a building and that which a building poses on a body of water is much more severe than the same relationship between buildings and wetlands, hence the added precaution/increasing of the distance to 100'.