The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) implements Chapter 91 Waterways Regulations (310 CMR 9.00), which govern structures, fill, and uses in jurisdictional tidelands, great ponds and non-tidal rivers and streams.
MassDEP is considering regulatory revisions in response to the effects of a changing climate, including sea level rise, increased precipitation, and intensifying storms. The Department has invited a wide range of stakeholders to participate in a stakeholder advisory panel to inform MassDEP’s proposed resilience-focused regulatory updates.
The advisory panel will bring together key stakeholders and subject matter experts to provide input as MassDEP develops policy and regulatory updates. The Department anticipates convening the stakeholder advisory panel in a meeting to focus on specific, near-term provisions under consideration, as well as a scoping discussion to identify broader, longer-term issues.
We expect to cover near-term issues in a single session, after which MassDEP will prepare and file Draft Regulations later this fall. Depending on the nature of the comments received during the meeting of the advisory panel or through the public comment period of the draft regulations, we will consider a second round of meetings later in 2022, to focus on longer-term challenges. Advisory panel meetings will be conducted virtually and are open to all interested parties and members of the public.
The Department held a virtual public stakeholder meeting Wednesday February 9, 2022.
