3/29/2011 SEWER COMMISSION Minutes

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f 5.3 "NO DISTURB"BUFFER TO WETLAND RESOURCE AREAS Fertilizers applied immediately adjacent to a wetland resource area(i.e., surface water body or wetlands) are at risk of leaching into the water body. One way to limit this is to require a buffer around resource areas where only activities to protect or enhance the resource are allowed. All four watershed towns have some type of 50-foot no-disturb buffer requirement in their regulations. For example,the Orleans Wetland Regulations state the following: • A 25 ft. buffer strip must be planted with indigenous vegetation; • Within 25 —50 ft. landward of the resource area, only activities that protect or enhance the resource are allowed; and • Within 50— 100 ft. landward of the resource area activities, such as construction, may be conditioned by the Conservation Commission. The buffer requirements apply to newly developed properties, but are harder to enforce when an applicant's pre-existing development has little or no buffer. In such cases, Conservation Commission's are encouraged to negotiate creation or enhancement of buffers, or other mitigation alternatives such as removal of lawn area.HW recommends that town Conservation Commissions continue to strictly enforce the fifty foot no disturb provisions in undisturbed areas and also work with property owners seeking orders of condition on existing developed properties to enhance or restore buffers, especially removing maintained lawns within 50 feet of a wetland resource area. Implementation: It is recommended that at least a 50 ft. no-disturb buffer be required adjacent to resource areas. Information about the importance and function of buffers could be provided to Conservation Commission members and property owners to augment efforts to create or restore buffers on pre-existing developed properties. Maintenance over Time: Conservation Commissions would need to review applications on an as needed basis. Level of Nitrogen Reduction: Although the level of nitrogen reduction from requiring a 50 ft. no- disturb buffer cannot be calculated,this measure will provide overall water quality improvements. 5.4 PUBLIC EDUCATION AND OUTREACH Fertilizers applied to residential lawns comprise 6.8%of the controllable nitrogen load to Pleasant Bay, and are an important opportunity to limit nitrogen that would otherwise migrate to the estuary. One primary way to encourage changed practices among residents is through a comprehensive outreach and education program to promote the proper management of lawns and landscaped areas. The program can be developed to target individual year-round homeowners, seasonal homeowners, homeowner associations, and landscapers who provide services to homeowners. The focus of an outreach campaign should be educating watershed residents and Pleasant Bay Fertilizer Management Plan 33 Horsley Witten Group, Inc. Final Report December 2010