In 2003, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs published a Connecticut River 5-Year Watershed Action Plan For the Massachusetts Section of the Watershed (PDF). In the interests of filtering out stormwater pollution and reducing peak flows during storms, this plan calls for the removal of impervious surfaces within 50 feet of streams. We believe […]
Month: September 2007
Gazette: “City Council delays action on vernal pools”
Today’s Gazette reports on the City Council’s decision to table the new wetlands and vernal pools ordinances until its September 20 meeting: After nearly two years of talks, proposed laws designed to protect wetlands and vernal pools are still a work in progress.…the council tabled the entire ordinance after several councilors said they would not […]
Gazette’s Hampshire Life: Development of Forests and Open Fields Impacts Birds
This week’s Hampshire Life discusses the impact of development on birds in “Birding: Not just an idle pastime”… This year, the U.S. Geological Survey’s annual Breeding Bird Survey and the Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count both indicated a decline in bird numbers…According to a 2003 Mass Audubon report, development in the state ate up 40 […]
Where We Stand on Wetlands: A Review of the Issues
On September 20, the Northampton City Council will revisit a proposed revision to the wetlands protection ordinance that would allow new development to encroach as close as 10 feet in downtown districts. The current ordinance generally prefers a 100-foot buffer zone. The new ordinance assumes that meaningful mitigation can be done when development disturbs a […]
The Wetlands Policy Lawsuit that City Officials Are Afraid Of
At yesterday’s City Council meeting, Council President Michael Bardsley emphasized that for him, a primary motivation to move quickly on a new Wetlands Ordinance is to prevent the city from being sued. The concern is that if key standards are not spelled out in an ordinance, a disgruntled party might, to give one example, sue […]
Breaking News: City Council Votes to Table Wetlands and Vernal Pool Ordinances
The Northampton City Council voted unanimously tonight to table the proposed wetlands and vernal pool ordinances. The main reason for the delay is to give the Conservation Commission more time to develop a consensus around the terms of the vernal pools ordinance. Councilors said they would then feel more comfortable about voting on the two ordinances as […]
NSNA Petition Signature Total Reaches 2,217
The North Street Neighborhood Association will present 1,358 new petition signatures at today’s City Council meeting. Adding to the 859 signatures submitted on August 16, the new total is 2,217. This includes 1,470 signatures from residents of Northampton and 747 from non-residents. The population of Northampton is estimated to be 28,592, so over 5% of residents have signed in […]
Detention Pools, Children and Drowning
Besides algae and mosquitoes, there is another risk to detention pools/retention ponds. They can be a drowning hazard for young children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention underscores the general risks from drowning: In 2004, of all children 1-4 years old who died, 26% died from drowning (CDC 2006). Although drowning rates have slowly […]
Northampton Open Space Plan: “This loss of habitat and natural flood buffering areas is Northampton’s most serious environmental problem”
Some have criticized members of NSNA for intruding themselves in the wetlands debate at a late hour. Where have you been, they say. We’ve been discussing this for years.That’s true, although not a convincing rebuttal to our arguments. Sometimes the downsides to a concept that sounds good (infill) aren’t obvious until someone proposes a specific development. Moreover, we have […]
The Economic Value of Wetlands: Wetlands’ Role in Flood Protection in Western Washington
This 1997 report was prepared for the Washington State Department of Ecology. It underscores how wetlands on private land can benefit the larger community, and how infill can pressure wetlands in a way that increases flood risks. Highlights include (emphasis added): The Economic Value of Wetlands: Wetlands’ Role in Flood Protection in Western Washington…Episodic flooding along […]