Commissioners alarmed as draft wetland maps and proposed buffer changes surface
Draft wetland maps show some wetland areas enlarged and others reduced; commissioners worried that a proposed reduction of buffer zones (discussed as 50 to 25 feet) could increase flood risk and weaken local protections. They agreed to contact regional wetland/floodplain staff for clarification.
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Members reviewed wetlands mapping presented in a regional draft and noted changes from previous maps: "They added so the ANR map...the current one does not have anything on our property, which we know there are wetlands up there. Now they do," a commissioner said. Several called out a potential policy shift to shrink buffers—one speaker said they were angry at the prospect of changing a 50-foot buffer to 25 feet to accommodate housing.
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