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New DEC wetland rules mean all wetlands in Kingston fall under protection, CAC member says
Summary
A CAC member told the meeting that state Department of Environmental Conservation regulations taking effect Jan. 1 expand protections so that all wetlands in Kingston — including small, unmapped wetlands — qualify for review, and the planning department is preparing guidance and native-plant lists.
A CAC member (name not specified) told the meeting that new state wetland regulations from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation taking effect Jan. 1 extend protection to all wetlands in Kingston, including small, previously unmapped sites.
The update matters because Kingston is defined as an "urban area" under the new rules, the CAC member said, which means "all wetlands of any size are protected in Kingston." That designation, the CAC member said, makes jurisdictional determinations available to homeowners and the city planning department to verify whether a feature qualifies as a protected wetland.
The CAC member said the wetlands are mapped but that the maps currently require GIS capability to view, and that the commission has begun conversations with planning, building safety, the city engineer and parks staff to coordinate responses. The CAC member said the planning department will begin providing lists of native plants for landscaping and lists of non-native plants that should be avoided.
The CAC member framed the plant lists as public resources, not only tools for the planning board: "[I]t is for the planning board where they could say, okay. You know, if you're doing your landscaping, here's some resources, but it's also just for the general public if they wanna go more native with pollinators and and everything," the CAC member said.
The CAC member also noted that the new rules increase the need for staff and public awareness because many wetland features occur on private property and small parcels. No formal action or vote was recorded on this item during the meeting; the remarks were an informational update during the CAC update portion of the agenda.
Looking ahead, the CAC member said staff and commission members will follow up with the planning department on outreach and tools to help residents identify and manage on-site wetlands.
