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Selectboard alerted to state wetland-rule edits and Clean Water Initiative comment period
Summary
The chair read a Clean Water Initiative notice and a referenced executive order (06-25) that, members said, aims to promote housing by easing wetland permitting in certain areas; selectboard members debated whether boundary protections were being expanded or reduced and encouraged residents to comment.
The Chair read correspondence from the Clean Water Initiative notifying the town of a public comment period on wetland rules and flagged edits tied to an executive order (referred to as 06-25) that members said eases some wetland permitting to support housing projects in designated areas. "That would allow certain residential housing projects in designated areas to proceed without a wetland permit," the Chair said when summarizing the notice.
Members discussed prior attempts to expand wetland buffers from 50 to 100 feet and said the state appears to be shifting policy to ease requirements where housing is needed. The board did not take formal action but encouraged members of the public to submit comments if they have concerns about how map updates or drone-based wetland mapping might affect property boundaries.
