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Town of Falmouth, MA Wetland Regulations

Background

In Massachusetts, implementation of the state wetland regulations is delegated to municipal Conservation Commissions. These Conservation Commissions, generally made up of 5 or 7 volunteer members, are appointed by Town Boards of Selectmen or City Councils. Under Massachusetts Home Rule legislation, municipalities may also adopt local bylaws that are more stringent or better reflect local needs than regulations under the state's Wetlands Protection Act. Most Buzzards Bay municipalities have adopted these local bylaws. Below are the new revised wetland regulations that the Town of Falmouth has adopted.

In 1987, the Town of Falmouth adopted through Town Meeting its current wetland bylaw and regulations. During 1997 and 1998, the Buzzards Bay NEP helped the town rewrite these regulations to bring them up to date and to be more consistent with the State's Wetland Protection Act regulations. They went into effect in August 1998.

In 2003 and 2004, the Town of Falmouth updated FWR 10.13 Variance Regulations, FWR 10.18 (6)-(8) Final Redevelopment Regulations, and FWR 10.16 (2) Dock Regulations, and added 3 definitions to 10.04. These updates are now included in the links below .


This is an unofficial copy and may contain typographical errors. It is provided as web pages and pdf form on this site so that the user can easily print out a reference copy.

Official Falmouth code is at www.falmouthmass.us "Town Code" link. However, this official website allows only small portions of the code to be printed or viewed at one time.

Regulations

Falmouth Wetland Bylaw (29 kb pdf file) The bylaw establishes the purpose of the Falmouth wetlands protection, defines when a permit (Notice of Intent) is required, defines the meaning of "alter" of wetlands resources, establishes the ability of the board to require bonding when issuing a Notice of Intent, and establishes the process for the Conservation Commission to adopt and revise the regulations below.

Falmouth Wetland Regs, Section 1 (plain text version)

Section 1 as a formatted pdf file, double click to open, or right click to save to your hard disk

Falmouth Wetland Regs, Section 2 (plain text version)

Section 2 as a formatted pdf file, double click to open, or right click to save to your hard disk

Falmouth Wetland Regs, Section 3 (plain text version)

Section 3 as a formatted pdf file, double click to open, or right click to save to your hard disk

Falmouth Wetland Regs, All Application Forms

Falmouth Wetland Regs, Shellfish Survey Form (a pdf form, 40 kb, right click to save on your computer)

Falmouth Wetland Regs, Section 2.00 Stormwater Management Regulations

Falmouth Wetland Regs, Section 2.00 Stormwater Management Regulations as a pdf file, right click to save to your hard disk

Town of Falmouth DCPC regulations for Black Beach.
--The town developed these regulations with the assistance of the Buzzards Bay NEP.





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