On September 6, an unacceptably weak wetlands ordinance will come before Northampton’s City Council. Developers will be encouraged to encroach as close as 10 feet to wetlands in downtown areas. Vernal pool protection has been put in limbo. This will facilitate such ill-conceived proposals as Kohl Construction’s 31-unit condo development slated for the woods behind […]
Continue reading Ask the City Council to Stand Up for Wetlands on September 6
The Post and Courier of Charleston, South Carolina, has prepared an excellent flash slideshow comparing natural wetlands with man-made substitutes. The presentation is 4 minutes and 16 seconds long, and has no audio component. The pictures speak for themselves. Here are some of the highlights: 4 min 4 sec from the end of the presentation“Though […]
At the Conservation Commission meeting of August 23, it was briefly discussed how some of the wetlands on Kohl Construction’s proposed condo site off North Street have been disturbed or filled. We came away concerned that some members of the commission did not take this issue seriously. One said something to the effect of, ‘Much of Boston […]
Continue reading Chilmark Wetlands Protection Bylaws: Disturbed and Filled Wetlands Merit Protection
Wetlands regulations in Boxborough (PDF) discuss the replication issue and spell out which activities are prohibited within 100 feet of protected resources areas. Here is an excerpt, which certain passages emphasized: 2.3.3. Wetland Replication.The history of wetland replication is mixed. Scientific reviews [Brown, S&P Veneman, 1998] conclude that for the most part replications fail to […]
The Berkshire County town of Stockbridge empowers its Conservation Commision to protect its water bodies and wetlands, including the power to require “strips of continuous, undisturbed vegetative cover within the 200-foot or 100-foot area” around these resources. Here is an excerpt from the Stockbridge Wetlands Protection bylaw, with certain passages emphasized: Section 1. The purpose of this Article is […]
Continue reading Stockbridge Wetlands Protection: 100-Foot Buffers
We are happy to relay this news from Clean Water Action… Victory!Massachusetts Wetlands and Citizens’ Rights Protected…Officials in the Patrick administration [announced] today that because of pressure from environmental groups they are abandoning their plan to limit residents’ ability to appeal certain wetlands decisions.This means that thanks to you, we’ve won.Our campaign to protect citizens’ […]
Flooding is already an issue for many residents around North Street. Kohl Construction’s proposed condo development–with its 31 units, 66 parking spaces, and associated access roads–is likely to make things worse. The 5.49-acre project will replace a good portion of the neighborhood’s water-absorbing woodland with impervious surfaces. Here are recent flooding incidents as reported to the Northampton Fire […]
Continue reading Flooding Incidents in the North Street Neighborhood: 2003-2007
If one looks at the woods behind North Street at night, their most striking feature is that they are dark. Very dark. According to The New Yorker, many creatures like it that way. From “The Dark Side”, 8/20/07Deer…have excellent nighttime vision but appear extremely vulnerable to temporary blinding by bright light…Although nighttime lighting has seldom been […]
Continue reading The Environment Says: The Woods Are Lovely When They’re Dark and Deep
The August 30 Valley Advocate publishes “Heartsick Over Noho”, a letter to the editor from Ann Foley of Berkeley, California: I’m heartsick over all the bad planning that’s been going on in Northampton. On my recent two-week visit, I noticed many changes to Northampton from just a year ago! Green Street is a silent, gaping […]
The Code of the Town of Wayland, MA (Chapter 194) calls for permits before work can be done within a 100-foot buffer zone around swamps, vernal pools, streams, and other specified resource areas. We have emphasized certain passages with bold type. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a greater degree of protection of […]