Wetland Permitting

Preserving Sudbury’s wetland resource areas, Adjacent Upland Resource Areas and Riverfronts Areas is crucial to maintaining the ecological integrity of our unique natural environment and protects public interests such as flood control, stormwater damage protection, protection of drinking water supplies, and fisheries and wildlife habitats. The Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act and regulations prohibits a person from “removing, filling, dredging, or altering” the land surface, water, or vegetation in wetland resource areas or within 100 feet of the wetlands or 200 feet of a perennial stream, without obtaining a permit from the local Conservation Commission. The Sudbury Wetlands Administration Bylaw and Bylaw Regulations further expand the definition of lands protected to include lands within 100 feet of wetlands as Adjacent Upland Resource Area as well as the status of stream designations, including protection of Cold Water Fisheries.

Any work within the wetlands, the 100-year floodplain, 200 feet of a perennial stream, or the 100-foot buffer zone to wetlands requires review and approval from the Conservation Commission. View the Town GIS system map showing approximate locations of wetlands, rivers, streams, and certified vernal pools in Sudbury.

If you are planning any landscaping, tree removal, filling, excavation, demolition, or construction within a wetland or floodplain, within the 100 foot buffer zone, or within 200 feet of perennial streams – whether or not the wetland resource area is on your property. Please contact the Conservation Office before you begin your project to determine if you will need a permit. View the Wetlands Brochure for a homeowners guide to working near wetlands and streams.

Applications are processed quicker if submitted electronically through eDEP. Hard copies may also be submitted to DEP, but take longer to process.

Wetland Permitting Forms and Filing Requirements:

Application	Filing Instructions
Abbreviated Notice of Resource Area Delineation	Abbreviated Notice of Resource Area Delineation Instructions
Notice of Intent	Notice of Intent Instructions Notice of Intent Filing Requirements
Notice of Intent for Ecological Restoration	Notice of Intent for Ecological Restoration Checklist
Request for Determination of Applicability	Request for Determination of Applicability Instructions
Request for Certificate of Compliance	Following completion of work and stabilization of the site, please review the last section of your Order of Conditions for information required to be submitted with the Request for Certificate of Compliance.
Notification of Abutters Form	Please contact the Conservation Office to receive meeting information for the Notification to Abutters Form.

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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.

All of our meetings are open to the public and we encourage you to attend any and all meetings that might interest you.