Wetlands

Wetlands on the Base property have undergone extensive disturbance. This began in 1941 with construction of the Naval Air Station as the    U. S. prepared to enter World War II. Use of the property as a military installation for six decades impacted the quality and type of wetlands.

In 2000, about 4,800 wetland delineation flags were placed in the field, creating approximately 60 miles of wetland delineations lines. Environmental consultants located 16 potentially certifiable vernal pools on the site.

In 2001 the local Conservation Commissions of Abington, Weymouth and Rockland reviewed and approved boundaries for approximately 383 acres of wetlands ecosystems on the Base, including bordering and isolated vegetated wetlands, isolated land subject to flooding and riverfront areas. The wetlands areas provide natural buffers between uses on the site and surrounding neighborhoods. The wetland areas also complement other adjacent open space areas that will be used for public recreation, including the proposed golf course. The Plan has been structured to minimize impacts on wetland systems. Some impacts, however, will result from the construction or improvement of roadways needed for access to developable areas, and from adhering to the Smart Growth principle of maximizing density in areas suitable for growth. Impacts to wetlands areas will be mitigated through wetlands replication elsewhere on the site.

Pedestrian wetland crossings will be accomplished on boardwalks. Impacts to bordering vegetated wetlands will be mitigated through 2:1 wetland replication of impacted wetlands.. Performance standards described in the Wetland Protection Act regulations, including those for habitat, will be met for wetland impacts.

Cleanup of hazardous waste may result in further impacts to wetland resource areas. These impacts will be mitigated either in the locations where the disturbances occur or elsewhere on the Base, as determined by the regulatory requirements governing site cleanup.

The Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act (G.L. c131 ss40) provisions include:

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