Submitted by Mark Stephens, Vice Chair
(February 6, 2025) — The following was written for the first edition of “Haddam Events,” but our hope is to re-use it here to encourage more volunteers to join us.
“For the purposes of this premiere issue of “Haddam Events” there is no better description of the Wetlands Commission than past Chairman Dan Iwanicki’s 1997-1998 annual report:
The Haddam Wetlands Commission reviews applications for work in or within 50 to 150 feet of wetlands and watercourses, with the goal to prevent or minimize negative impact to these natural systems. They are an indispensable and irreplaceable, but fragile, natural resource with which the citizens of Haddam have been endowed. The wetlands, watercourses, vernal pools and review areas are essential to the well-being of all in Town, and it is necessary to balance the need for the economic growth of the Town and the use of its land with the need to protect its environment. The Inland Wetland and Watercourse Act creates a land use regulatory process, administered by the Wetlands Commission, which considers the environmental impacts of proposed development activities.
Not all wetlands have a continuous occurrence of water on the surface of the ground. Some wetlands hold water within the soil, where it’s used by plants growing in the area but cannot be seen without digging. Some wetlands have surface water during only a portion of the year, called vernal pools. Vernal pools are unique wetland habitats that serve as breeding sites for a variety of amphibians. They also are utilized by numerous vertebrate (e.g. spotted turtle) and invertebrate species. Because the pools are typically small, isolated, and dry for much of the year, they may not be shown on the wetlands map, and their value may be significantly underestimated.
If your property includes wetland, you are a custodian of a valuable resource. If you find that you need to conduct work in or near wetlands (e.g., clearing, grading, piping, culverting, excavating, filling, constructing), you must submit a description of your proposed project for review and approval. The Haddam Land Use Office can offer you assistance in completing the application. Acting in a regulated area without approval of the Commission can lead to legal action, but more important, could be hazardous to the health of the land that nurtures us all.”
The Haddam Wetlands Commission has shrunk to only five members. We need more volunteers.
If you are interested in serving, please contact the First Selectman. Wetland Commissioners are appointed by the Board of Selectmen. If you want to know more about being a Wetlands Commissioner, please talk with the Haddam Land Use Department. The Haddam Wetlands Manual is available to get you started. CT DEEP has on-line training. Sit in on a meeting.
The meetings are at 7:00 p.m. on the third Monday of the month (except on Tuesdays following holidays) at the Old Town Hall.
