Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Jurisdictions and Buffer Zones

Regulatory data outlines jurisdiction under the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act and River Protection Act, covering wetlands, water bodies, and a mandatory 100-foot buffer zone. The dataset, provided by SCIOPS via NASA Earthdata, details protected resources and the associated permitting process for construction projects. Specific temporal coverage and dataset size are unknown.

Use Cases

• Identify regulated wetland resource areas like salt marshes or coastal banks for environmental impact screening.
• Map the 100-foot buffer zones around freshwater and coastal resources for development planning.
• Analyze the regulatory review process by referencing data fields related to Notices of Intent and Orders of Conditions.
• Study the 'no net loss' policy implementation by examining records of project mitigation requirements.

Strengths

• Defines a comprehensive regulatory framework with specific jurisdictional boundaries, including a standardized 100-foot buffer zone.
• Explicitly lists over a dozen protected resource types such as banks, tidal flats, marshes, and vernal pools.

Limitations

• Dataset size, row count, and specific data columns are unknown, limiting immediate utility for quantitative analysis.
• Potential temporal staleness as the last update date and time range of the regulatory records are not provided.

Provenance

Source

SCIOPS, via NASA Earthdata platform.

Collection Method

Compilation of legal authorities and regulatory text (M.G.L. c. 131, § 40 and 310 CMR 10.00).

Geography

Commonwealth of Massachusetts, USA.