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Planning Board sends new Wetlands Conservation District ordinance to 2026 ballot after lengthy debate on thresholds and buffers
Summary
The Planning Board voted to place a comprehensive Wetlands Conservation District (new Section 7) on the 2026 ballot after reviewing definitions, permitted and conditional uses, and conditional-use criteria; members debated thresholds (vernal pools over 500 sq ft, freshwater wetlands over 1,000 sq ft), buffer widths, and the balance between conservation and private-property rights.
The Town of Swansea Planning Board voted to place a new Wetlands Conservation District ordinance (replacement Section 7) on the 2026 town meeting ballot after an extended public hearing and detailed line‑by‑line review.
The ordinance replaces Section 7 with a comprehensive definition of wetlands and a set of permitted, conditional, and special provisions intended to protect water quality, flood storage, groundwater recharge and wildlife habitat. The board read the ordinance aloud, citing state authority in multiple RSA references as read in the hearing.
A key point of debate was the practical threshold the draft uses to limit the ordinance’s scope: vernal pools over 500 square…
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