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Town Government & |
Departments: Conservation Commission
Conservation Commission The Hingham Conservation Commission is a seven member board appointed to 3 year overlapping terms by the Board of Selectmen under Chapter 40 of the Massachusetts General Laws. The Commission is entrusted with the stewardship of over 1000 acres of conservation land and addresses natural resource issues of the town and region. Empowered to administer the State Wetland Protection Act (M.G.L. Chapter 131, section 40), the Rivers Protection Law, and the Town of Hingham's Wetlands Protection Bylaw, the Commissioners review numerous projects that fall within their jurisdiction. After review, Orders of conditions are issued to applicants which are intended to protect the natural resource interests of the community. A Conservation Officer, Assistant Conservation Officer, and a full time secretary staff the Conservation Office. Hours are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, 8:30AM to 4:30 PM, Tuesday 8:30 A.M. to 7:00PM , and Friday 8:30AM to 1:00PM The Commission generally conducts a public meeting the first and third Monday of each month at the Town Hall beginning at 7 P.M. However, please contact the Conservation Office to confirm meeting dates and locations and deadlines for submission of applications/filings.
2011 Annual Report In 2011 the staffing level of the Conservation Department was reduced when the Assistant Conservation Officer, Abigail Childs, left. Abigail's knowledge of vernal pools and marine fisheries was a great asset to the Town and will be missed. Many citizens enjoyed joining Abby on her field trips, exploring vernal pools and learning about other aspects of Hingham's open space areas. In addition, Abby's work with the senior volunteers (Kathy Lincoln and Edythe Cox) is greatly missed as they provided much needed services by clearing Conservation trails making them clean and accessible. The work load in administering the state Wetland Protection Act and the local Wetland Bylaw continue at a high level of activity despite the continued downturn in the economy and its ramifications on new construction. The Conservation Commission held 75 public hearings during 2011 for the following applications: • 43 Notices of Intent The Conservation Commission also ratified 5 Enforcement Orders and 1 Emergency Request, along with issuing 40 Certificates of Compliance to close out Orders. Public access along the waterfront at Crow Point was reestablished after almost 2 years of legal efforts by Town agencies spearheaded by the Conservation Commission. Pedestrians can once again pass from Downer Avenue to North Beach along the harbor. For the third year, the Hingham Conservation Commission has opened selected conservation areas to bow hunting during the fall deer and spring wild turkey seasons. Many conservation commissions, state and municipal park commissions and quasi government open space managers use deer hunting as an effective management tool to deal with the burgeoning deer population. Hunters are important in the effort to protect natural habitat from the effect of over population, reducing vehicular/deer collisions and maintaining a healthy deer population and possibly reducing the spread of deer ticks which carry Lyme and other infectious diseases. A limited number of hunters are approved each year by the Conservation Commission and they must possess all the requisite permits and licenses before being allowed on designated Conservation lands. In turn, the hunters report on the health of the deer herd and other wildlife they observe during this period. The Open Space and Recreation Plan 2009-2016 has been finished and approved by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs. This arduous task, which is required in order to gain state and federal funds for a number of community projects, was completed by the Conservation Staff and citizen volunteers. A special thanks to Jim Watson who was instrumental in gathering information for the plan. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Lovett donated 235R Rockland Street to Conservation as open space. Arrayed across the wooded ridgeline south of Rockland Street, this 10.6 acre parcel abuts the almost 6 acre recreation land on Canterbury Street; the ancient way Tugmanug borders the land to the north. Carolyn Nielsen, Chair
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