Massachusetts (State) Wetlands Protection Act – in a nutshell
Requires Commission review of (and permit for) any activity proposed within 100 feet of a wetland or within 200 feet of a river.
If you are near a wetland … ask before acting!
Examples of activities include: dumping, cutting, grading, digging, or anything that changes soil, plants, water flow.
Examples of wetlands:
- waterbody (river, stream, creek, pond, lake, bank, beach, flat)· land subject to flooding (floodplain or regularly flooded area)
- bordering vegetated wetland (marsh, swamp, bog, wet meadow)
- riverfront zone
And a riverfront is defined as “anywhere with 200 feet of a perennial stream”.
Maynard Wetlands Bylaw — in a nutshell
- Has a more stringent definition of an Isolated Land Subject to Flooding
- Institutes a 50-Foot No Build Zone
- States that vernal pools need not be certified to be protected
- Institutes a new application fee structure