Vww.Town.Pepperell.Ma.Us/Conservation

TownofPepperell ConservationCommission TownHall,OneMainStreet Pepperell,Massachusetts01463 (978)433-0325

vww.town.pepperell.ma.us/conservation

8October2015

RachelMadden,Undersecretary

ExecutiveOfficeofAdministrationFinance

StateHouse,Room373

Boston,MA02133

DearSecretaryMadden:

Thankyouforreachingouttoenvironmental stakeholdersforinputonthevarious regulationsbeingreviewedunderGovernorBaker'sExecutiveOrder562.

Weappreciatetheopportunitytocommentaswellastheinvitationtoattendlistening

sessionsregardingthisOrder.

Since1972,theMassachusettsWetlandsProtectionAct(WPA)Chapter131,Section40, hasbeenprotectingourvaluablewetlandresourceareas. Theseregulationshaveendured manyreviewsbystateagencies,municipalities,andinterestedparties. Infact,aftera threeyearreviewandcommentperiod,MassDEPrecentlypromulgatednewwetlands

andwaterwaysregulations. Thesechangeswereenactedtosaveapplicants,

commissions,andMassDEPtimeandresources. Inaddition,morethan100ofthe Commonwealth'smunicipalitieshaveenactedwetlandsprotectionbylaws. Underhome ruleauthority,municipalitiesmayenactlocalwetlandprotectionbylawsthatprovide additionalprotectiontowetlandresourceareas. Theseregulationsandtheeffortsbylocal ConservationCommissionsandMassDEPtoenforcethemareinplacetoinsurethe protectionofourdrinkingwater,ourfisheries,importanthabitats,andothercriticalareas aswellasproviderecreationalopportunities.

In1990,theMassachusettsEndangeredSpeciesAct(MESA)under321CMR10.00,was enactedtoinsureprojectsthatcouldpotentiallyimpacttheCommonwealth'srareand endangeredspeciesreceivethespecialattentiontheydeservebyrequiringprojectreviews forourmostthreatenedspecies. Wehavearesponsibilitytoprotectthesemostcritical habitats from destructionorwewillcontinuetoseethedeclineofmanyspeciesofplants andanimals. OurMESAregulationshavepreviouslybeentargetedandfurtherchanges thatcouldweakentheseregulationscouldbeirreversibletothemanyspecieswehavean obligationtoprotect.

Withtheseandotherimportantenvironmentalregulationsareinplacetoprotectthe Commonwealth'sresidents,bothpeopleandwildlife,wemustinsureanychangestoour regulations,whetherstateorlocal,arethoroughlyconsideredtounderstandtheirshort-

termandlong-termimpacts. Whileareviewandchangesto ourCommonwealth's regulationsarebeingproposed,weaskthattheAdministrationtakeintoconsiderationthe effortsthathavetakenplaceandcontinuetotakeplaceatDEP,NHESP,andDCRto refinetheseregulations.

Weshouldnotandcannotriskthatchangestosomeofthemostcriticalregulationswill bediluted. Withcurrentstaffingreductionsduetoearlyretirement,manyofourState agenciesarealreadytryingtobalancetheworkloadleftbyearlyretirees,letalonespread theseemployeeseventhinnerbyaskingthemtobeginreviewofregulations,manyof whichhavealreadybeenreviewedinrecentyears.

Whileweunderstandthatten(10)regulationswillberescindedbecausetheyareoutdate orrelatedtoprogramsnolongerinoperation,welookforwardtolearningmoreaboutthe remainingeighteen(18)regulationsbeingproposedforamendmentandrevision.

ThePepperellConservationCommissionlooksforwardtoreceivingupdatedinformation ontheproposedamendments/revisions asnewinformation becomesavailable. Welook forwardtoathorough,open,andtransparentreviewoftheseregulations.

Sincerely,

PaulaTerrasi,ConservationAdministratoronbehalf

ofthePepperellConservationCommission