Residents in a Moncton neighbourhood want to know why a developer got permission to destroy wetlands in their backyards.

Earlier this week, Claude Gagnon removed beaver dams located behind homes on Fundy Street, near Harrisville Boulevard, which caused the marshland that hosts a variety of wildlife to drain away.

The residents contend the area — which used to be a protected wetland — should continue to be protected.

James Giles says his backyard looks like France during World War I. (CBC)"I walked out on the ice a few days ago and there was a muskrat swimming right under my feet. It's just something you don't expect to see in the city," said James Giles.

"These wetlands means so much to the entire street, I feel like it's just been taken away from us. One night and the life in this area is just gone," he said.

Giles said he chose to live in the area because of the wetlands, full of Red-winged Blackbirds, mallards and beavers.

"It now looks like France in 1914, World War I, after it had just been pulverized by explosive shells and trenches.… It just looks terrible."

The developer, Gagnon, declined to comment.

Gagnon had the appropriate permits to do the work, according to Department of Environment spokesman Jim Hennessy.

"The water level had gotten quite high, to where the landowner had become quite concerned. So what he did was took some steps — to the letter of the law, I might add — to ensure the level of the water dropped."

Roy MacMullin, of the Conservation Council, is demanding answers. (CBC)Roy MacMullin of the Conservation Council of New Brunswick, said he isn't convinced.

"As you can see from the manholes up in this direction here. They're not in any danger either. They're probably about five feet in elevation higher than this whole situation here," he said.

"Is this how we protect wetlands? I have some questions about how this process happened. What is the crisis that required us to break down this barrier here and let the water drain?"

Although the area was previously protected, that changed in March when the new provincial wetlands map was released, provincial officials said.

Residents plan to meet with city officials to find out what they can do to protect the wildlife habitat that's left in their yards.

In January, the province released a controversial wetlands map, which designated as much as 18 per cent of the province as wetlands, up from the previous four per cent.

In March, Environment Minister Margaret-Ann Blaney announced the province was scrapping that map and using a short-term strategy that designates six per cent of land wetlands instead.

As part of the province's long-term strategy on wetlands, Blaney has said a wetland stakeholder group will prepare recommendations by the end of the year on the best way to protect wetlands in the province.