Conservation Commission

Meetings

• Date and Time: 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month at 7:00pm
• Location: When in person, meetings will be held at the former Longmeadow High School's Room A15, located at 535 Bliss Road.
• NOTE: Pursuant to the July 16, 2022 Bill, the Longmeadow Conservation Commission meetings may be conducting the meetings via remote participation until further notice.
  

Meetings are open to the public in accordance with the Open Meeting Law.

Agendas & Minutes

Agendas are available prior to meetings. Minutes are available following approval. 

View Most Recent Agendas and Minutes

Members

• John Bresnahan, Chair, exp. 2024
• Kimberly Barton, exp. 2025
• David Dumais, exp. 2026
• Kiernan Mulcahy, exp. 2025
• Andrea Chasen, exp. 2026
• Patrick Carnahan, exp. 2024
• Vacancy, exp. 2025
• Vacancy, Associate
  
• Vacancy, Associate

About the Board

The purpose of the Conservation Commission is to protect Longmeadow’s wetland resource areas in accordance with the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act and the Longmeadow Wetlands Bylaw and supporting regulations. The protected resource areas include rivers, streams, brooks, ponds, wetlands, banks and the floodplains. Protection extends 100 feet from the edge of the wetlands, 200 feet from rivers and most brooks and streams, and to the entire floodplain.

Details on the Protected System

Rivers, streams, brooks, ponds, wetlands, and the underground aquifer in Longmeadow all are part of the system that provides water for use by earth’s inhabitants. In addition, the wetlands provide habitat and food for marine life, birds, and animals and act as conduits for the movement of water from one area to another. Wetlands serve as temporary storage areas for water, filtering out pollution and allowing the filtered water to be absorbed into the aquifer.

Rivers, streams, brooks, ponds and wetlands are usually supported by banks and may also be in the floodplain. Banks are susceptible to crumbling and erosion. Once this happens, the soil and vegetation from the banks tend to clog and fill the associated watercourse, interfering with its natural functions, hence measures are taken to protect banks. Floodplains are low areas, such as that between Route I-91 and the Connecticut River, which may be flooded by excess water due to heavy rain or high water levels in the river. Floodplains serve as temporary storage areas for water, thus preventing flooding in populated areas. Floodplains are protected to insure that the storage capacity is not reduced.

Illegal Activities

It is illegal for anyone in Longmeadow to dredge, fill, modify or alter any of these resource areas without first filing for and receiving a permit to do so. Anyone whose property is within 100 feet of a wetland or within 200 feet of a brook, stream or river who wishes to build, grade, clear, apply herbicides or to do any work which could alter the resource area must contact the Conservation Commission before doing so.

More Information

Instructions on how to file a Request for Determination of Applicability (RDA) or a Notice of Intent (NOI) can be found on the "Filing Resources" tab below. Information regarding regulations and additional sources of information can also be found on the tabs below. Anyone wishing to contact the commission may call 413-565-4100 Ext. 1323 or email the Conservation Commission's Administrative Assistant Bianca Damiano.

Are you part of a Boy Scout, Eagle Scout or Girls Scout group looking for ideas on how to earn awards for environmental projects? Our new guide, found on the Filing Resources tab below, may help you understand the process and plan for your project.