The Cummington Conservation Commission is charged with enforcing the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act. The law protects not only wetlands, but other resource areas, such as land open to flooding (100 year flood plains), the riverfront area (added by the rivers protection act), and land under water bodies and waterways. The Con Comm is also responsible for upholding the Westfield Rivers’ Wild and Scenic designation. The main objective of all of the legislation/acts is protection of the Town’s precious water resources.

The law regulates many types of work in resource areas, including vegetation removal, regrading, and construction of houses, additions, decks, driveways, and commercial or industrial buildings. If you want to work in a wetland resource area or within 100 feet of a wetland (an area called the buffer zone), contact the Conservation Commission before you start work.

If you are unsure whether your proposed work site is in a resource area or whether the work will alter a resource area, you can apply for a Request for Determination of Applicability. If the Conservation Commission determines that the work will alter a resource area, you must file an application, called a Notice of Intent (NOI), and pay an application fee.

Information about the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act can be found here: www.mass.gov/dep/water/resources/wetlands.htm

Information on the Massachusetts River Protection Act can be found here: www.mass.gov/dep/water/laws/riveract.htm

Use the links below to go to the forms you need. Read the breif explination of the form to determine which one you might need. Each header is a link to the form it denotes.

WPA Form 1: Request for Determination of Applicability 

This process enables the applicant to seek a determination of whether the provisions of the Wetlands Protection Act apply to a particular land area, determine the boundaries of a wetland resource area, or other circumstances under which proposed work would be regulated by the Act.

 WPA Form 3: Notice of Intent 

The Wetlands Protection Act prohibits the removal, dredging, filling, or altering of wetlands without a permit. A Notice of Intent is required to obtain such a permit.  This form is also available for electronic filing via eDEP Online Filing  . NOTE: Applicants for Ecological Restoration Limited Projects cannot use eDEP and must attach Appendix A to their submittal. Revised April 2015 to include riverfront-area impact for coastal resource areas.  

WPA Form 7: Extension Permit for Order of Conditions   

This form records the approved extension of an unexpired Order of Conditions.

Wetlands Protection Act Emergency Certification Form   

Certification for work in a resource area resulting from a natural disaster or other emergency.