Wetlands Protection Update
Wetlands Protection Update
*5/5/2022 Update*
The Salem City Council voted to adopt the amended Wetlands Protection & Conservation Ordinance on March 24 and the Mayor signed it on March 28. The Conservation Commission adopted implementing regulations on April 19.
Welcome!
The City of Salem is developing an updated local wetlands protection document. The Salem Conservation Commission has statutory jurisdiction over Salem’s wetlands through the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act and Salem’s Wetlands Protection & Conservation Ordinance.
While the Commission provides thorough and thoughtful review through its current jurisdiction, there is a growing interest in the community to enhance the City’s wetlands protections and provide increased consistency and clarity to project proponents. The City also sees this wetlands update as an opportunity to empower residents with the knowledge of the power and limits of the Commission’s permitting authority. As a result, the City hopes stakeholders will become better equipped to advocate for appropriate wetlands protection through the Commission's review of development proposals that advance the City’s housing, employment, and transportation goals.
We are excited to share our draft Wetlands Protection Ordinance and components of the Wetlands Protection Regulations with the public for review and comment. Please see below for an introduction and summary of the process to date, as well as the text version of the PDF files. We look forward to discussing these drafts with the public at the November 23, 2021 Public Forum starting 6:00 PM. After the public forum, these materials will be further reviewed by the Wetlands Protection Working Group, and then presented to the Salem Conservation Commission and City Council. If you have any questions or comments on these drafts prior to the public forum for us to consider, please send them to Tom Devine at tdevine@salem.com or 978-619-5685.
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Actualización de protección de pantanos
¡Bienvenidos!
La ciudad de Salem está desarrollando un documento actualizado de protección de pantanos locales. La Comisión de Conservación de Salem tiene jurisdicción legal sobre los pantanos de Salem a través de la Ley de Protección de los Pantanos de Massachusetts y la Ordenanza de Protección y Conservación de los Pantanos de Salem.
Si bien la Comisión ofrece una revisión exhaustiva y reflexiva a través de su jurisdicción actual, existe un interés creciente en la comunidad para mejorar las protecciones de los pantanos de la Ciudad y brindar mayor coherencia y claridad a los proponentes de proyectos. La Ciudad también ve esta actualización de los pantanos como una oportunidad para empoderar a los residentes con el conocimiento del poder y los límites de la autoridad de permisos de la Comisión. Como resultado, la Ciudad espera que las partes interesadas estén mejor equipadas para abogar por la protección adecuada de los pantanos a través de la revisión de las propuestas de desarrollo de la Comisión que promueven los objetivos de vivienda, empleo y transporte de la Ciudad.
¡Vuelva a visitar esta página web a lo largo del proyecto para obtener actualizaciones, información sobre reuniones públicas, proporcionar comentarios y más!
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Input Sought on Draft Wetlands Ordinance & Regulations
The City seeks public input on its draft wetlands ordinance and regulations. The City and its environmental consultant developed these draft documents with a Working Group made up of staff from the Planning and the Engineering Departments along with representatives from the City Council, Planning Board, Conservation Commission, local environmental groups, the development community, and the general public. The Working Group’s efforts have been informed by public input through three forums and an online survey, examples and best practices from other communities, and wetlands science. Recordings of the forums, which include an introduction to wetlands science and protection, are available through the project webpage.
The draft ordinance and its implementing regulations provide substantial protections beyond what is currently in place through the state’s Wetlands Protection Act and Salem’s existing ordinance. They establish a new 25’ no-disturb area as well as a 50’ zone that prohibits impacts without mitigation. Vernal pools and isolated vegetated wetlands are now protected resource areas. And by adding climate change adaptation and mitigation as a resource area value, the Conservation Commission for the first time will have the explicit authority to incorporate climate considerations into its review. Furthermore, these drafts propose clear language regarding waiver criteria, enforcement, and appeals.
This will be a major leap forward in the protection of Salem’s natural environment, and the work continues beyond the adoption of the new ordinance and regulations. Additional work includes revisions to the City’s subdivision regulations, stormwater ordinance, and green building policies—as well as other initiatives that will come out of the Salem-Beverly Resilient Together Climate Action and Resilience Plan. This wetlands policy initiative has also highlighted the need to review the City’s Flood Hazard Overly District Special Permit zoning ordinance. Furthermore, MassDEP will be promulgating Wetlands Protection Act regulations for coastal flood zones.
The City and its environmental consultant will present a summary of the draft ordinance and regulations at its November 23 virtual Public Forum where all are welcome to attend and provide comments.
For questions, please contact Tom Devine at tdevine@salem.com or 978-619-5685.
Provide Public Comment - Coming Soon!