How do I know if my work is in or near a resource area?

Certain resource areas are not easy to determine without some training or expertise. You may have an intermittent stream that is not running at the time you are looking at it, or certain wetland soils that you can’t identify without soil or plant sampling. And work that you want to do may be near a resource area that is not on your property and that you may not even see. The safest thing to do is to either check with the Conservation Commission prior to doing any work, or hire a qualified wetlands professional to look at your site and help you identify and determine the wetlands boundaries and areas under the jurisdiction of applicable laws.

Moving forward on work in jurisdictional areas without a permit may result in an enforcement order from the Conservation Commission, and added time, expense, and delay for your project.

DISCLAIMER: Please note that the information on this website is meant to simplify very complicated regulations, and is not meant to substitute for applicants' responsibility to understand and follow applicable laws, and read the official forms and instructions carefully. In cases where information on this website disagrees or appears to disagree with state and local regulations and policies, the official regulations and policies take precedent.

Thanks to the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection for contributing to information on this website.