In Massachusetts, our more than 48,000 acres of wetlands and approximately 4,230 miles of rivers are protected under the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act and Rivers Protection Act. (see Water Resources Laws). Many towns and cities have expanded upon these acts by protecting additional buffer zones around these sensitive areas.
Any work you would like to do in or near a wetland needs to be approved by your local Conservation Commission. If there is a conservation restriction (CR) on your land, the work also needs to be approved by the organization that holds the CR.
Because protecting and enhancing wetlands is essential to water quality, flood mitigation, and wildlife habitat, potential projects include removing invasive plants and planting native plants.