With no county government, erosion control falls to each town and the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act. Clearing or grading near a bank, wetland, or the 200-foot Riverfront Area needs the town Conservation Commission's approval before ground is broken.
Massachusetts has no Hampshire County government, so land-disturbance rules come from town bylaws and state law. Under the Wetlands Protection Act (MGL c.131 §40), no one may remove, fill, dredge, or alter a bank, wetland, or the 100-foot buffer without filing a Notice of Intent with the local Conservation Commission and obtaining an Order of Conditions. In Hadley, Hatfield, Northampton, and Amherst, silt fence, straw wattles, and stabilized construction entrances keep sediment out of the Connecticut and Mill Rivers. Sites disturbing one acre or more also need an EPA NPDES construction permit, and MS4 towns enforce local erosion bylaws.
Clearing or grading in a resource area without an Order of Conditions violates the Wetlands Protection Act, bringing enforcement orders, restoration requirements, and civil penalties that can reach $25,000 per day until the site is stabilized.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Hampshire County, MA
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Hampshire County, MA
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Hampshire County, MA
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Hampshire County, MA
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Hampshire County, MA
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Hampshire County, MA
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See how Hampshire County's erosion control rules stack up against other locations.
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