Conservation Commission
Address: 334 Main Street
Great Barrington, MA 0123
Phone: 413-528-1619 x122
Agent: Marco Crescentini
Hours: Tuesdays & Thursdays; 8:00am – 3:00pm
Public
Meeting: 4th Wednesday of each month at 7pm.
Filing
Deadline: Friday at 12:00 noon two and a half weeks before the public hearing. Nine
(9) copies must be delivered to the Town Clerk’s office on or before the
deadline. Please call the office at 413-528-1619 x122 with any questions.
Function: The 1957 Conservation Commission Act authorized each city and town in Massachusetts to establish a locally
appointed municipal agency to plan for natural resource protection, acquire important land and water areas, and
manage these properties for conservation and passive recreation. It is also the work of the Great Barrington
Conservation Commission to locally administer the Wetlands Protection Act (WPA; MGL Ch 131, S.40), the
Rivers Protection Act (Acts of 1996, Ch.258), and the Great Barrington Wetlands Protection By-Laws (Ch. 168). The
purpose of the Regulations are to protect public and private water supply, ground water supply, flood
control, storm damage protection, prevention of pollution, protection of land containing shellfish, protection of fisheries,
and protection of wildlife habitat. The Regulations prohibit any filling, excavation or other alteration of the land
surface, water levels, or vegetation in or near wetlands, without a permit from the local Conservation Commission.
Our responsibility is to review project plans, including construction, renovations, alterations, additions, pruning, tree
cutting, land clearing, river clean up, and any activity within 100’ of a lake, pond, vegetated wetland, or
intermittent stream, within 200’ of any perennial river (except for any river, lake or pond that is a public or private water
supply, where the set back is 500’), and any work within floodplains. If you have any questions concerning a project,
you can call the office or fill out a WPA Form 1, a Request for Determination of Applicability. This form is
designed to answer any questions on whether your project is in a protected area and whether the work will negatively
affect the environment or not.
The Conservation Commission also administers the local Berkshire Scenic
Mountains Act (MGL, Ch. 131, S. 39A). The purpose of the Scenic Mountains
Act is to protect scenic highlands and slopes, thereby preventing erosion and
safeguarding water resources. Great Barrington has designated 12 areas of
protection, where removal, filling, excavation, clearing of vegetation or other
alteration of land is regulated. This occurs through a similar process as listed
above, beginning with a SMA RDA for simple projects.
The Great Barrington Conservation Commission also manages two properties;
the Lake Mansfield Conservation Forest and the McAllister Property. One of
the original intentions of the Massachusetts Conservation Commission was to
protect open land. We are thrilled to be presently working with other local
organizations to create a more public-friendly space as well as safe guarding
the environment in the Lake Mansfield Conservation Forest.
News: As of January, 2009 applicants will be responsible for notifying abutters when submitting a Request for Determination of Applicability. The Assessor’s Office in the Town Hall will compile the list for you free of charge as long as they are given 5 working days to complete a certified list. Abutter notification must be sent at least 7 days prior to the hearing, and must be sent either certified mail, return receipt requested or certificate of mailing. If using certificate of mailing, the Post Office will provide a date-stamped receipt for each letter mailed, which must then be submitted to the Conservation Commission as proof of abutter notification. A model notice is included in the Downloadable Forms section.
We are now requiring nine (9) copies of all applications.
The Great Barrington Wetland Protection Regulations have been revised at the February 5th, 2009 meeting. The revised regulations are reformatted in an easier to read version as well as a change in Section 2.5. Section 2.5 now refers to the Great Barrington Drinking Water Supply and Upstream Tributaries. In this section, the regulations refer to the Stream and Lake Protection Zone; Section 171-37.1 of the Zoning Bylaws. The Great Barrington Conservation Commission will now review applications for projects proposed within a five-hundred-foot distance of the Green River and its upstream tributaries of the water supply gallery (which include Alford Brook, Long Pond Brook and Seekonk Brook) through a Special Permit process. Applicants should contact the Zoning Officer (Building Official) for more
information regarding the Special Permit process.
Downloadable Documents:
Forms:
Scroll down to WPA Forms.
Notification to Abutters
Members:
Patricia Kinne (528-1949) Chairman Term Expires 2011
Andrew Mankin, Vice Chairman Term Expires 2013
David Shanahan Term Expires 2013
Orit Kadosh Term Expires 2012
Jessica Dezieck Term Expires 2012
Bruce Gore Term Expires 2013
Jennifer Connell Term Expires 2013
| 
