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New CCMP: Protecting Wetlands and Coastal Habitat

About the new Buzzards Bay CCMP Action Plans
The Buzzards Bay NEP is now updating our 1992 landmark Buzzards Bay Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) to reflect the great progress achieved since that plan was finalized. It will include new goals, objectives, and recommendations to meet the environmental needs for Buzzards Bay and its surrounding watershed into the next decade of the 21^st century. This new document will also meet the requirements for a Massachusetts Watershed Action Plan, which will enable new funding opportunities through the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

On this page is a draft action plan from the updated Buzzards Bay Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan and planned 2009-2014 Watershed Action Plan. The text on this page is a public draft provided to invite comment and discussion of the subject by residents and stakeholders. It may contain goals and recommendations that have not yet been endorsed or approved by the Buzzards Bay Steering Committee. The views or information contained here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or the US Environmental Protection Agency.

We want your feedback on this action plan. At the bottom of this page is a link for you to provide comments on each goal, objective and recommendation contained in this Action Plan. Based on your feedback, we will update and revise all the action plans in the new CCMP.

Action Plan 9: Protecting Wetlands and Coastal Habitat

To fully understand the basis of these goals and recommendations, please read (left click) or download (right click) the complete Protecting Wetlands and Coastal Habitat (July 23, 2007 draft 281 kb pdf).


July 23, 2007 draft

Goals

Goal 1. Long-term increase of high-quality wetlands and coastal habitat in Buzzards Bay.

Objectives

Objective 1. To protect existing wetlands.

Objective 2. To encourage restoration of degraded wetlands.

Objective 3. To improve enforcement of wetlands laws.

Objective 4. To upgrade the capability of local conservation commissions.

Objective 5. To create new wetlands habitat, especially habitat that can be used by threatened, rare and endangered coastal species and anadromous and catadromous fish.

Recommendations

Recommendation 9.1 DEP will conduct training for DEP employees in BVW delineation, with special emphasis on Spodosols, to ensure consistency in state and local interpretation of wetland boundaries.

Recommendation 9.2 DEP will conduct training for DEP employees on the difference between state Wetlands Protection Act definition of "isolated" wetlands and the federal definition of isolated wetlands.

Recommendation 9.3 DEP should require in its regulations that when wetlands are allowed to be altered or destroyed, restoration and/or replication will be at a ratio of at least 2:1.

Recommendation 9.4 Where appropriate, DEP should allow Conservation Restrictions or land donations or fee acquisitions of important wetland wildlife habitat or unique communities in lieu of cash fines for wetland violators.

Recommendation 9.5 The BBNEP will map existing Wetland Restrictions in GIS format and provide information to towns, DEP and the public.

Recommendation 9.6 The BBNEP will provide wetland delineation training to local Conservation Commissions.

Recommendation 9.7 The BBNEP will assist towns in writing wetland protection bylaws and regulations and prepare educational materials for town meetings.

Recommendation 9.8 The BBNEP will provide technical assistance to towns on issues relating to wetland protection including project review.

Recommendation 9.9 The BBNEP will produce a basic primer for new Conservation Commission members to compliment more detailed guides prepared by MACC and DEP.

Recommendation 9.10 Boards of Selectmen should require that Conservation Commission members attend training workshops on the state Wetlands Protection Act.

Recommendation 9.11 Conservation Commissions should require their agents to attend an advanced wetland training class at least once annually.

Recommendation 9.12 Municipalities should address current weaknesses in the Wetlands Protection Act by adopting local bylaws and regulations to meet local needs.

Recommendation 9.13 All Buzzards Bay municipalities should adopt local bylaws to require a minimum setback of 50 feet to wetlands.

Recommendation 9.14 All Buzzards Bay municipalities should adopt local bylaws and regulations to limit or eliminate some types of limited projects.

Recommendation 9.15 All Towns should use non-criminal citations as a tool for encouraging compliance with local and state bylaws.

Recommendation 9.16 Where applicable for denials, municipalities should approve projects under the state Wetlands Protection Act but deny under local bylaws.

Recommendation 9.17 Conservation Commissions should require recording of plans and wetland boundaries at county deeds offices in their orders of conditions.

Recommendation 9.18 Conservation Commissions and Open Space Committees should identify large wetland systems within their town and make them a priority for acquisition (see the Action Plan 14, Protecting Open Space and preserving a Buzzards Bay Green Belt) through Community Preservation Act funds, town meeting articles, or initiative like the USDA Wetland Reserve Program.

Recommendation 9.19 All conservation commissions shall adopt a policy requiring that at least one Commission member be present on all site visits where there is proposed construction of structures, roads, or clearing of land and RDAs on undeveloped land.

Recommendation 9.20 Municipalities (selectmen, conservation commissions, land trusts, etc.) should utilize nonregulatory wetlands protection techniques like encouraging or purchasing conservation restrictions and use tax assessment strategies that encourages land to be kept in forest, farmland, and recreational/open space lands (MGL Ch. 61, 61A, and 61B) and differential taxation policies allowing for open space to be taxed at a rate significantly lower than for residential or commercial property (MGL Ch 54, Special Act 797 of 1979).

Recommendation 9.21 Conservation Commissions will review town owned conservation and open space lands to ensure the appropriate deed restrictions were recorded to implement Town Meeting and town board votes.

Recommendation 9.22 Where appropriate, Conservation Commissions will utilize technical consultants to review complex projects, stormwater plans, or to address other needs for complex projects.

Recommendation 9.23 The Coalition for Buzzards Bay should implement a program to help certify vernal pools throughout the watershed.

Recommendation 9.24 The Coalition for Buzzards Bay should support town meeting articles in support of local wetland bylaws and wetland setback buffers, irrespective of whether they fully achieve the recommendations of this action plan.

Recommendation 9.25 The Coalition for Buzzards Bay should undertake a public awareness campaign to educate residents about the importance of wetlands and the role of Conservation Commissions in their community.

Recommendation 9.26 The Massachusetts Legislature should support a) improved protection of Chapter 97 lands and b) create state tax incentives for lands placed in conservation protection.

Additional Background

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