Description of Services

The Conservation Commission is responsible for enforcement of the Mass. Wetlands Protection Act, the Townsend General Wetlands Bylaws, and the Squannacook & Nissitissit Act of 1975.  Other services include review of lands coming out of Chapter 61, management of Old Meetinghouse Park and other conservation land, and general promotion of conservation activities within the town. Townsend is home to the Squannassit Area of Critical Environmental Concern, and has significant conservation land that provides for excellent wildlife habitat and many recreational activities, such as hunting, fishing, canoeing, and hiking.

Contact Information

ATVs or ORVs are inherently damaging to most environments in which they are operated.  Please note that it is illegal to operate any motorized vehicle on any land owned by the Town of Townsend or any property in Townsend owned or controlled by the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife.  It is also illegal to operate motorized vehicles on most state park and state forest lands, and it is illegal to operate them on private lands without the written permission of the landowner. 

Please follow the link below for information on designated ATV or ORV trails in Massachusetts:   http://www.mass.gov/dcr/recreate/orv.htm

Organic Lawn Care Townsend Goes Organic

Invasive Species Alerts

ALERT - Mile-A-Minute Vine

Townsend residents are asked to keep their eyes peeled for the invasive Mile-A-Minute Vine

Mile-a-minute Vine is a highly invasive annual weed, native to Asia, that was first discovered in Massachusetts in 2006. A single vine can grow up to 6 inches per day. Mile-a-minute vine climbs over trees and posts, shading out other plants. It outcompetes and overgrows native species, causing ecological and economic damage. Your help is needed to prevent this plant from becoming established in Massachusetts.  This vine has been found in Littleton.  Follow this link for the Mile-A-Minute vine flyer from massnrc.org

Here are three important characteristics of Mile-A-Minute Vine:

Triangular leaves	Curved barbs along stems	Saucer-shaped leaves ("ocrea") at stem nodes

If you have a plant that looks like this, you should report it here

Additional Information

Number of Members and Terms:

       Seven Members, three year terms each, staggered so that the terms of as nearly an equal number of  members shall expire each year.

Appointed By:
       Board of Selectmen.  Members can be reappointed.   Vacancies are filled by the Commission with BOS approval.

 

For a current listing of Conservation Commission Members, please follow this link for Appointed Officials

The Conservation Commission meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday evenings, or  more often if needed.  All meetings are posted and open to the public.  Hearings on the agenda are by appointment only.  Meetings start at 7:00 p.m. and are usually held in the Selectmen's Chambers, upstairs in Memorial Hall.

For a copy of current Conservation Regulations, please go to Bylaws or visit the Town Clerk's office.

Fee Schedule for Townsend Wetland Bylaw Filings - effective 9-01-2010 - follow this link for the Fee Schedule

Squannacook River  Paddling - Should obstructions be cut and cleared  to reduce portages?

Watch a YouTube video discussing this topic on our Squannacook River produced by the Appalachian Mountain Club and hosted by the Mass. Dept. of Fish & Game:   "Trees, Paddlers and Wildlife - Safeguarding Ecological and Recreational Values on the River"

New FEMA Flood Rate Insurance Maps issued June 2010

I am concerned that my property was not in a Flood Hazard Area, but may now be located in a Flood Hazard Area, due to the new FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) being digitized and more accurate.

If you have been notified that your home or property may be in a Flood Hazard Area as shown on the new FEMA FIRMs issued June 2010, you may check out FEMA's site, where you can view the FIRM that shows your property.  You can also create a FIRMette (a clip of the official FIRM that shows your property - it's free).  FIRMettes can be used in all aspects of the NFIP including floodplain management, flood insurance, and enforcement of mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements.

FMIX: New Live Chat Service

The FEMA Map Information eXchange (FMIX) is pleased to announce a new exciting service: Live Chat.  Live Chat will allow FEMA stakeholders to interact with Map Specialists real-time via an online forum. Specialists can field inquiries pertaining to a wide variety of topics including Letters of Map Change, Elevation Certificates, the release of new flood maps, and more. Map Specialists will be available for online chat Monday through Friday, from 9:00 am to 11:00 am and again from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm Eastern Standard Time (Easter Daylight Time). To use Live Chat or for information regarding services provided by the FMIX, please click here. You can also reach the FMIX by telephone at 877-FEMA MAP (877-336-2627) or by email at FEMAMapSpecialist@riskmapcds.com.

Planning a Project?

I am planning a Project - Do I need to contact the Conservation Commission?

If you are planning to do any work within 100' of a Wetland, or within 200' of a river (this includes any stream that runs year-round) or a pond, you should call the Conservation Agent, who may make an appointment to walk your project with you.  Based upon information gathered at this visit, the Agent will advise you in a course of action, which may include:

• No Cons Comm action is required (it is clear that the law does not apply to my project)

• File a Request For Determination of Applicability (does the law apply to my project ?)

• File a Abbreviated Notice of Resource Area Delineation (ANRAD) (I want to establish exactly where the wetland boundaries and buffer zones are)

• File a Notice of Intent (the law clearly applies to my project, I want to present my project to the Commission; The Commission will review my plans, possibly request certain data, and apply the laws and protocols.  If the Commission determines that the work can be done without harm to the environment, it will issue an Order of Conditions, clearly laying out the steps that must be taken to protect the wetlands near my project.  They will monitor the project, and if violations are seen, may take enforcement action)

• Or other forms of information or communication, to determine if Cons Comm action is required

The law applies to work within the Wetlands or buffer zones, including but not limited to: work which changes grades (cutting or filling), tree clearing, and construction (driveways, buildings, septic systems, etc.).

Some minor activities are exempt from the law, including but not limited to: common landscaping tasks, driveway maintenance, certain home improvement projects, fencing that does not create a barrier to wildlife movement, stone walls, and stacking of cordwood.

If you are not certain whether your activities are exempt, a call to the Conservation Agent can be very helpful, and is probably a good idea. 

 

Looking for Wetlands Protection Act forms?  Follow this link  http://www.mass.gov/dep/water/approvals/wwforms.htm   to the State site where you can download them.