Conservation Commission

Click on one of the links below for more information about the Hanover Conservation Commission and Conservation Office.

About the Conservation Commission

Current Conservation Commission Members

Conservation Commission Staff / Contact Us

How Can I Become a Member?

What is Conservation

Conservation Commission Schedule

When Do I Need a Permit & How Do I Apply?

Current Projects

Backyard Conservation

Downloads

Plans Available in the Conservation Commission Office

Related Links

About the Conservation Commission

The Conservation Commission was established for the Town of Hanover by The Conservation Commission Act, Massachusetts General Laws (M.G.L.), Chapter 40, Section 8C. The Commission meets the first and third Wednesdays of each month. At this time, meetings begin at 6:30 PM and are held in the second floor hearing room at the Town Hall. The Commission is made up of five (5) residents who volunteer their time and efforts to help maintain the integrity of the environment and water quality for the residents of Hanover. This includes but is not limited to protection of resource areas such as wetlands and vernal pools, rivers and streams, and the wildlife that inhabits these areas. Commissioners are appointed by the Board of Selectmen to a three year term with no limit to the number of terms they may serve.

Specifically, the Commission and it’s staff administer the Rules and Regulations of the State of Massachusetts as set forth by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), in the Wetlands Protection Act (WPA), 310 CMR 10:00, and the local By-Laws, Chapter 6, Section 14. Through public meetings governed by the Open Meeting Law (M.G.L. Chapter 39, Section 23), hearings are held for projects, residential, commercial/industrial, or municipal projects, that include activities within the Commission’s jurisdiction. The permitting process may include coordination with other Town Departments such as the Board of Health for septic repair, the Planning Board for subdivision projects, the Building Department for construction activities such as houses, pools and sheds, or the Department of Public Works for roadway projects. Additionally, the Hanover Conservation Commission manages all town conservation lands in order to protect and sustain these natural ecosystems for current and future generations to use and enjoy.

Current Conservation Commission Members

Chairman: Neal Merritt (also Liaison to Open Space Committee)
Vice Chairman: William Woodward
Hearing Officer: Amy McElroy
Commissioner: Gary Young, Jr.
Commissioner: Lisa Satterwhite
Associate Member: vacant
Associate Member: vacant

 

Administrative Assistant :  Sandra D. MacFarlane

550 Hanover Street, Suite 11

Hanover, MA  02339

How Can I Become a Member?

To become a member of the Conservation Commission, a letter of interest can be sent to the Board of Selectmen and/or the Conservation Commission. At the time of a vacancy on the Commission, the Board of Selectmen will review candidate’s credentials and appoint a new member. As members of a Municipal Board, Commissioners are governed by the Mass. General Laws and the Town of Hanover By-Laws. No experience in necessary, but consideration should be given to the amount of volunteer time that is necessary for a regulatory board. This includes assignment to oversee particular projects and site inspections.

What is Conservation?

It has only been since the 1960’s that wetlands have been truly recognized as a valuable resource for communities. Today, wetlands are protected not only on a local level, but also State and Federal Agencies. The Wetlands Protection Act protects wetlands and the public interests they serve. Some of the areas of concern are stormwater management, pollution and flood control, protection of public and private water supplies, fisheries, wildlife habitat and lands for use as Open Space. On the local level, the Conservation Commission administers the laws defined as the Wetlands Protection Act and it’s local Wetlands Protection By-Laws. On the State level, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) oversees administration of these laws. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a federal agency that protects the nation’s environmental interests through development and implementation of laws enacted by the United States Congress. It’s Deputy Director is appointed by the President.
 

Conservation Commission Schedule

The Commission meets every first and third Wednesday each month. The meeting is open to the public and begins at 6:30 PM. Meeting Agendas and Minutes are available on the Town Calendar.

When do I Need a Permit & How do I Apply?

A permit is necessary when activities on a site will alter the resource area or it’s buffer zone. Activities in preparation for the building of a house, installation of a swimming pool, septic systems, driveways, commercial parking areas and buildings are all considered activities that would alter these protected areas. In some cases, an applicant may wish to conduct soils testing before beginning a building project. This also requires a permit if the test pits or access to the testing area falls within the jurisdiction of DEP and or the Commission.

If you find that you are not sure if your property has areas that are protectable under the WPA, RPA or the local By-Laws, there are several things you can do. First, you can arrange for a site inspection by the Conservation Agent. The Agent can advise you as to whether or not the areas are within DEP’S or the Commission’s jurisdiction. If so, a list of qualified Wetland Consultants may be obtained from the Conservation Office or in your local telephone directory under Environmental Services. The wetland consultant can then identify and mark the borders of your resource area, or determine that there are none on your property.

The jurisdiction of the Conservation Commission lies 100 feet out from the border of a resource area or 200 feet from a perennial stream ( one that continuously flows year round). Resource areas include wetlands, vernal pools, marsh, bogs and swamps. Other resource areas include, but are not limited to any lake, river, pond and related banks, land subject to flooding, and coastal areas. The area within the 100 feet of a resource area is called it’s buffer zone. The 200 foot area located around perennial streams, brooks and rivers is also a buffer zone, but is divided into an inner and outer portion at the 100 foot line. This area has additional protection under The Rivers Protection Act (RPA).

The following is a description of applications and the resulting permits that are required by DEP and the Conservation Commission with some general information about each one:

An Abbreviated Notice of Resource Area Delineation is completed when an applicant wants to have the Conservation Commission approve the boundaries of the resource areas on a particular site. This is a preliminary step that insures accurate location of these protected areas and their buffer zones on any future plans submitted for construction or development. After a public hearing, the Commission issues an Order of Resource Area Delineation which lists the areas reviewed and approved and the plan on which they were approved.

A Request for Determination of Applicability is completed when an applicant wants the Conservation Commission to determine whether or not the proposed work will affect the resource area in such a way as to require further review and permitting by the Commission and DEP. After a public hearing is held, the Commission will issue either a negative Determination of Applicability confirming that the proposed work will not adversely affect the resource area or it’s buffer, or the Commission may determine that the proposed activity requires further investigation and permitting. In such a case, the Commission will issue a positive Determination of Applicability and require that the applicant proceed to the next step in the permitting process, the Notice of Intent.

A Notice of Intent is required for all proposed activities within the Commission’s jurisdiction that does not qualify for the Request for Determination, or for any activity proposed within the Riverfront Area. After a public hearing, the Commission will issue an Order of Conditions which must be then recorded at the Plymouth County Registry of Deeds. This permit will remain on the title for the property until the work is verified as complete as per the Commission’s requirements in the Order of Conditions and may be released with a Certificate of Compliance.

The Conservation staff has prepared several user friendly instruction sheets to help you maneuver through the permitting process. Also available both at the Conservation Office and in the download section of this website, are the applications listed above and sets of instructions. As always, please feel free to contact the Conservation staff at 781-826-6505 for help completing forms or for further information.

Notes:

1)  There is a fee for the Agent to conduct a site inspection. Please see the By-Law Fee Schedule
2)  For those resource areas considered perennial streams, the 200 foot measurement begins at the point where the water floods each year, or the annual mean high water line. This could be at the bank, or several feet out from the bank, depending on the topography of the area.
 

Current Projects

Several projects under review by the Commission have started the construction phase this year. These include subdivisions such as the Spring Meadows, Lally Farms, The Elms and Cushing Hill, Village at Walnut Creek and Oak Hills Estates. Other subdivisions permitted this year were Honeysuckle Lane, Sunset Point, Elijah’s Path and Berkshire Estates. An example of commercial projects that were permitted by the Commission include Swenson Granite and The Green Connection which have opened for business after passing their final inspections with the Commission. The CVS/Pharmacy Store project was reviewed and received an Order of Conditions. The project to improve and increase the capacity of the Hanover Mall parking area by the Wal-Mart Corporation was reviewed as well as the Patriot Cinema expansion project. The Commission approved a design that not only increased their capacity for the cinema’s movie buffs, but also improved parking and the Stormwater Management capabilities on the site. Through the hearing process, the Hanover Mall Management and North and South River Watershed Association were partnered to review issues concerning Third Herring Brook. Benefits from this partnership will effect both the Towns of Hanover and Norwell for many years.

The Commission issued several Orders of Resource Area Delineation for projects in preliminary stages of design. This is an important step in the process for large scal projects, as it allows the Commission to verify the wetland lines and resource areas prior to test pits, access roads, etc. One of the largest projects in the Town of Hanover was reviewed by the Commission for early stage permitting. More than one hundred acres off Washington Street, (across from Starland), was proposed for development with a preliminary name of The Hanover Country Club. The Commission along with it’s Wetland Consultants verified many resource areas on site and the developer is working very closely with the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP) at DEP, during the certification process for multiple vernal pools on site and to ascertain the areas to be designated as habitat of rare wildlife.

The Commission was pleased to receive from NHESP, certification of several other vernal pools in Hanover including the re-created vernal pools at the Spring Meadows Subdivision. These vernal pools continued to show evidence of viable species well into this year. In working closely with the Commission and State agencies, several developers have implemented progressive, environmentally friendly techniques and were instrumental in improving the sites that were developed.

Updates to Conservation Commission By-Laws and Rules and Regulations

The local Wetlands Protection By-Law is further regulated and explained by the Commission’s Rules and Regulations. Both of these documents may be found on the website. The Rules and Reg’s. provide a detailed account of how the By-Laws are administered. Currently, the Commission and the Conservation Agent are reviewing the Rules and Reg’s. in an effort to make them more understandable, to explain and streamline the permitting process and make general changes to the guidelines for working in buffer zones to resource areas. This is an ongoing process which will be open to public comment through the hearing process when it is in a more complete version. A public hearing notice will be printed in the Hanover Mariner and posted at the Town Clerk’s Office at that time.

Open Space Map Update

The Commission has in the past and continues to work very closely with the Open Space Committee in the development of the Open Space and Recreation Plan, Open Space Map and other Conservation Land Management projects. Commissioner Laura Horky is the current liaison to the Open Space Committee and reports to the Commission on Open Space matters and concerns.

Vernal Pool Certifications

A list of certified vernal pools and potential vernal pools and their locations are available in the Conservation Office.
 

Backyard Conservation

Backyard Conservation can be as simple as putting up a bird feeder or bird bath in your yard. Helping the wildlife through the winter is one of the greatest gifts you can give your family and your town. Preserving the nature of Hanover through the protection of it’s environment is something that will benefit current and future residents as well. The Commission highly recommends the use of home composting bins, rain barrels, and recycling of all reusable materials for every household and business in town. The Conservation Office has many brochures available on this topic and can help with initiating recycling efforts for homes, schools and community organizations. We have also increased our efforts to provide the Library and local schools with as much information as they can use and thanks to the internet and generous Federal Agencies such as the USDA, US Department of Agriculture, we can now provide educational posters, brochures, teaching kits, and more at no charge. Please stop by the Conservation Office for your free copy of “Backyard Conservation."

Downloads

Click on the links below to see Conservation Commission related Downloads:

Bylaws & Regulations

Maps & GIS

Forms, Permits & Applications

General Permit Information and Handouts
Wetlands Protection By-Law

Click here to print or download DEP Wetland Application Forms: http://www.mass.gov/dep/water/approvals/wwforms.htm.  
Scroll down to Wetlands Protection Act Permits to find blank application forms.

Plans Available in the Conservation Commission Office

Town of Hanover, GIS
USGS Quadrangle for the Town of Hanover
Assessor’s Composite Base, Town of Hanover, Land Use Map
Estimated Habitats of Rare and Endangered Species and Certified Vernal Pools
Town of Hanover Open Space Map
Assessor’s Maps of the Town of Hanover including all permits issued through the Conservation Office
 

Related Links

Department Environmental Protection
Massachusetts General Laws
Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program
Mass Wildlife
North & South Rivers Water Association

Wetland Protection Act Forms
Clean Water Act: Massachusetts Programmatic General Permit
River and Stream Crossing Standards: Technical Guidelines
Massachusetts Clean Water Act
List of Great Ponds
List of Towns with Wetlands Restrictions
Renovation of Abandoned Cranberry bogs

Supplemental Bylaw Information Form