How do I know if I need a Wetland Permit?

Published January 1, 2000 | Conservation Commission | Updated August 3, 2020

How do I know if I need a Wetland Permit?

Answer
Wetlands permits are required for all work within 100′ of a wetland resource area and within 200′ of all perennial streams. Wetlands are dynamic so the extent of wetlands change over time. As a result, the best course of action to determine if your work is within jurisdictional areas, is to begin by contacting the Conservation Commission. Wetland maps from 1971 available in the Town Engineering office are not 100% accurate and cannot be relied on for permitting, although they can be used for general wetland information. The same applies to the GIS system found on the Town Website.

Answer

Wetlands permits are required for all work within 100′ of a wetland resource area and within 200′ of all perennial streams. Wetlands are dynamic so the extent of wetlands change over time. As a result, the best course of action to determine if your work is within jurisdictional areas, is to begin by contacting the Conservation Commission.

Wetland maps from 1971 available in the Town Engineering office are not 100% accurate and cannot be relied on for permitting, although they can be used for general wetland information. The same applies to the GIS system found on the Town Website.

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Conservation

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The Sudbury Conservation Commission was established in 1962 to protect local natural resources and features and to act as stewards of the town’s conservation properties.

Mission Statement:

To preserve, protect, and improve the Town’s valuable water, land, plant, and animal resources for the benefit of present and future generations (under the legal authority granted under The Conservation Commission Act, by the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act, and by the Sudbury Wetlands Administration Bylaw); to foster community involvement in the protection and enjoyment of Sudbury’s open spaces and natural resources through education and stewardship; and to balance the interests of jurisdictional projects with the public benefits provided by wetland resource areas, to guide Sudbury’s future, under a fair and open public hearing process.

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