TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — For the second time in recent years, the Michigan Legislature is rewriting environmental law in ways that critics say would accelerate development of sensitive wetlands, although business interests contend the revisions would provide adequate protections while boosting the economy.

The state Senate this week approved and sent to the House a measure that would make numerous changes in laws dealing with wetlands such as swamps, marshes and bogs, which absorb floodwaters and provide vital wildlife habitat. Some of the provisions deal with farming. Others would provide more flexibility for developers who are required to create new wetlands in place of those they damage.