Today’s Gazette publishes a letter from Suzanne Beck, executive director of the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce: “Wetlands law will help city secure a sustainable future”. Ms. Beck believes the new ordinance will create “new no-disturb areas of 10 to 50 feet”.Regardless of the merits of the other parts of the proposed ordinance, a 10-foot wetlands […]
Continue reading Our Response to Suzanne Beck’s Letter to the Gazette
This week’s Valley Advocate has two articles addressing wetlands. At the front of the paper, editor Tom Vannah pens “Between the Lines: No Time to Relax — The Wetlands Protection Act is under attack”: …West Brook is one of the most closely studied trout streams in the United States. I’ve run into many federal fish biologists […]
Continue reading Two Articles on Wetlands in the Valley Advocate
Today’s Gazette features a brief mention of our campaign to preserve wetlands buffer zones (“Group campaigns for wetlands”) and a letter from Jim Levey of Northampton, “Proposed wetlands measure deserves everyone’s support”. Mr. Levey believes our positions are “not based on fact”… I support the proposed wetlands ordinance, a culmination of over two years’ work […]
Continue reading Our Response to Jim Levey’s Letter to the Gazette
In September 2001, the EPA published “Threats to Wetlands” (PDF) to encourage conservation. We reproduce excerpts here, emphasizing some passages with red type. While the national rate of wetlands loss has slowed since the 1970s, Northampton threatens to go against this trend with its proposed wetlands ordinance. This ordinance invites developers to encroach as close […]
The City of Northampton has released the current version of the proposed Wetlands Ordinance. We reprint it below. This version incorporates amendments approved at the first reading of the ordinance before City Council on September 20. The Council voted 7-2 to approve the ordinance as amended. The second and final reading will take place at the City […]
Continue reading Northampton Circulates Revised Wetlands Ordinance Ahead of October 4 Vote
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEEmail in**@********oc.org for more informationNorthampton, MA Citizens Campaign to Protect Their Urban Wetlands, Prevent FloodingCitizens of Northampton, MA are campaigning to preserve the buffer zones around the city’s urban wetlands from development. Northampton has a proud tradition of environmental stewardship and sustainable growth, but on October 4, Northampton’s City Council plans to vote […]
China offers a vision of what can happen when water resources are not respected in a drive for growth. Today’s New York Times reports: Water pollution is so widespread that regulators say a major incident occurs every other day. Municipal and industrial dumping has left broad sections of many rivers “unfit for human contact…”A century or […]
Continue reading New York Times: “Beneath Booming Cities, China’s Future Is Drying Up”
Wednesday’s Republican reports: The Conservation Commission last night voted not to take a position on the city’s bid to ease wetlands restrictions to facilitate development.“I don’t think we should get involved … We’re supposed to be neutral,” commission member Charles N. Koch said…The proposals come from the city Planning Department, and specifically from Marlene Marrocco, […]
As reported in today’s Sunday Republican, the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission invites the public to review a Local Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan for Northampton (PDF) as well as plans for other valley municipalities.We believe Northampton’s proposed wetlands ordinance, by inviting developers to encroach as close as 10 feet to wetlands in our more populous districts, goes against the goals of […]
The North Street Neighborhood Association is on the Conservation Commission’s agenda for September 27. The meeting begins at 5:30pm. Our portion will begin around 7:00pm. We will make our case to the commission that urban residents need and deserve the same benefits from wetlands and their buffer zones–especially flood protection–as do more outlying residents.We invite […]
Continue reading NSNA on Conservation Commission Agenda for September 27