Officials Happy with Federal Wetlands Protection

Winthrop, Revere and Lynn are in good shape when it comes to protecting marshland and wetlands through the Wetlands Protection Act.

Winthrop and Revere share the Belle Isle Marsh with East Boston. Revere and Lynn also share the Rumney Marsh.

Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu re-filed a wetlands protection ordinance for Boston recently to protect wetland areas in the city and its portion of the Belle Isle Marsh. Having tools in place to protect wetlands also helps mitigate global climate change.

Wu is hoping her ordinance will strengthen the city’s ability to fight climate change and reasonably regulate development.

Boston is only one of three coastal communities without a wetlands ordinance to protect areas such as the Belle Isle Marsh.

“We do have a wetlands bylaw, but it doesn’t specifically mention Belle Isle Marsh,” said Winthrop Conservation Commission chairman Norm Hyett, who added that at the next ConCom meeting they may discuss further protections.

Nick Moulaison, interim ConCom chairman in Revere said the city also looks to a wetlands protection bylaw for protection of wetlands and the Belle Isle Marsh.

Lynn too looks to a Wetlands Protection Bylaw to protect marshes and critical areas.

“Lynn’s local by-laws include marshes already and have since they were written,” said Mary Lester, chair of Lynn’s Conservation Commission. “We treat marshes the same as any other freshwater wetland area, as far as protection is concerned.”

She added that Lynn does have marshes, as well as Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC). Revere too goes by the city Wetlands By-law when it comes to protecting the wetlands.