WESTFIELD — After revising the city’s wetlands ordinance in 2022, Conservation Director Anna Meassick said the Conservation Commission is doing it again. This time, the revisions will add regulations and clarify the rules around work next to a wetland.
“It’s definitely important,” said Meassick. “I think the language of it is really critical for not only the commission to understand, and consultants and representatives, but also the public.”
Specifically, the new revisions will allow for more uses in the 50-foot no-disturb zone around wetlands, such as streams and ponds. Currently, any disturbance within that zone is forbidden, unless it’s unavoidable or benefits the protected area. Meassick said that if someone wants to plant a garden in that area, for example, they should be allowed to.
