8.1 GENERAL PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
The proposed replication project must meet or exceed these standards.
A replication plan including certification that each of these standards will be met, and construction activities shall be approved and supervised or conducted by a professional wetlands scientist with experience in wetland replication, wetland hydrology and a working knowledge of botany. Such a person shall be retained by the applicant to supervise and monitor construction of the replication area until compliance of the replication area conditions are given in writing by the Commission. Said compliance will only be issued after monitoring shows that the replication area has succeeded (success is defined as a planting where at least 80% of the vegetation has successfully taken) for a minimum period of two years, and that no further replanting, restoration or repair to the replication area has been
needed for at least two years.
1. The surface of the replacement area to be created shall, at the absolute minimum, be twice that
of the area that will be impacted or destroyed;
2. The ground water and surface elevation of the replacement area shall be approximately equal to
that of the impacted or destroyed area;
3. The overall horizontal configuration and location of the replacement area with respect to the
bank shall be similar to that of the impacted or destroyed area;
4. The replacement area shall have an unrestricted hydraulic connection to the same water body
or waterway associated with the impacted or destroyed area;
5. The replacement area shall be located within the same general area of the water body or reach
of the waterway as the impacted or destroyed area;
6. The replacement area shall be reestablished within-kind, indigenous wetland plant species within two growing seasons, and prior to said vegetative reestablishment any exposed soil in the replacement area shall be temporarily stabilized to prevent erosion in accordance with currently accepted, standard methods;
7. The replacement area shall be provided in a manner which is consistent with all other General
Performance Standards for each resource area in Part III of 310 CMR 10.00;
8. The seasonal elevation of groundwater must be verified in wetland replication areas once the proposed replication areas have been excavated to base grade;
9. No filling of any wetland area may begin until preparation of it’s compensatory resource area has been completed, is ready to receive soils from the altered area and all wetlands soils have been removed from the fill area;
10. Monitoring reports are due to the Commission on at least June 1st , and November 1st , of each year of monitoring. Such reports shall include a wetlands scientist’s assessment of progress and recommendations for enhancement, if any;
11. Replication areas, which have not shown signs that they will likely succeed within 3 years, shall be required to be re-engineered and re-constructed. A check to cover the cost of re-engineering and re-construction, to be determined on a case-by-case basis shall be submitted to the Town of Sturbridge Conservation Commission to be held in an Agency Account by the Town Treasurer until a Certificate of Compliance is issued for the project.
As stated in Chapter 1.1 of these regulations, a growing body of research evidence suggests that even “no disturbance” areas reaching 100 feet from wetlands may be insufficient to protect many important wetland resource characteristics and values. Problems of nutrient runoff, water pollution, siltation, erosion, vegetation change, and habitat destruction are greatly exacerbated by activities within 100 feet of wetlands. Thus, in general work and activity within 100 feet of wetlands is discouraged and should be avoided and reasonable alternatives pursued. Accordingly, the Conservation Commission shall begin with the presumption that lands within the adjacent upland of a resource are best left in an undisturbed and natural state.
Local filing fees as outlined in section 4.17 of these regulations shall be paid in full at the time the proposed project is filed or at the time the SCC determines or requires that a replication area is required in order to permit the project.
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