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Legislation targets wetland regulations
Apr 23, 2025
SALISBURY — Raised Bill No. 7174 was proposed earlier this year in Hartford as a series of amendments to the state’s existing laws surrounding protections of wetlands, rivers and streams. It has since passed through the state’s Environmental Committee and currently awaits a General Assembly vote.
Salisbury resident Bruce Palmer warned the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission (IWWC) during its April 14 meeting to familiarize itself with the bill, suggesting it could significantly affect the commission by altering its jurisdiction on property adjacent to lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands, known as the upland review area.
“It might warrant us that we could be pioneers, like we should be,” said Palmer, suggesting that Salisbury should seek to be an example in ecological governance in a state that is “well behind most states in New England on just about everything, including upland review.”
The bill’s stated purpose is “to establish protections for riparian buffer zones, protect fishways along certain water passages and require certain insurance surcharge fees for environmental measures,” according to the draft language. The bill defines a riparian buffer zone as the area surrounding a wetland or watercourse for “a distance of not less than 100 feet.”
Land Use Administrator Abby Conroy said that the bill may pose jurisdiction issues with municipal IWWC commissions. She explained that it began as a bill to establish protective vegetative buffer zones around waterways but morphed into the implementation of a 100-foot minimum upland review area that could be regulated without specific reference to the actual site.
Conroy told the Commission that if the bill is adopted, it would alter the IWWC’s governance of the review area.
Commission alternate Russel Conklin speculated that regulations could be enacted without any basis in the actual impact on the site — “that seems like trouble,” he said.
The IWWC has already faced difficulty surrounding upland review areas in recent months, with debates over altering the regulated zone for Salisbury’s major lakes — Wononscopomuc, Wononpakook, Washining, and Washinee — proving a major roadblock in developing new local regulations.
As the current regulations draft stands, each lake has a 75-foot upland review area, which is substantially lower than the upland review areas designated for other watercourses and waterbodies in town.
The regulations have been sent out to the state Department of Energy and the Environment for review and are expected to see a public hearing on May 12.
IWWC Chair Vivian Garfein said lake associations that wish to extend or change the upland review area may petition the Commission to do so after the public hearing closes. “It shouldn’t be a difficult thing to accomplish,” she said.
As for Raised Bill 7174, Garfein maintained that while she was aware of the proposed legislation, the Commission will address it when and if the time comes: “When it’s law, I’ll worry about it.”
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FALLS VILLAGE — At the Board of Selectmen’s regular monthly meeting Monday, April 14, the selectmen appointed Chris Wadsworth and Matt Gallagher to the Recreation Commission as regular members to fill the vacancies of Rachel Mills and Daniel Glass.
Fire Chief Matt Hansen reported that the Falls Village Volunteer Fire Department will be participating in a Jamboree event at Lime Rock Park June 27 to 28. The Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department will be at the Emergency Services Center to cover any calls.
First Selectman Dave Barger announced the town had received an $8000 grant for neglected cemeteries.
The Falls Village Car Show will be Sunday, July 13.
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SALISBURY — The second trimester honor roll for the 2024-25 school year at Salisbury Central School was released last week.
Eighth Grade
Highest Honors
Grace O’Brocki
High Honors
Anna Ayer
Liberty Brammer
Jacob Castellano
Phoebe Conklin
Thomas Downey
Elden Grace
Sasha Loucks
Sawyer Margerelli
August Olson
Alexandra Philipp
Camilla Race
Bryce Salmon
Zoe Sayler
Solomon Schmidt
Quin Sheil
Mollie Sosin
Shiva Tantri
Jaxon Visockis
William Warder
Seventh Grade
Highest Honors
Evelyn Adkins
Evelyn Hall
Theodore Kneeland
High Honors
Millicent Almeida
Victoria Bellanca
Aria Belter
Madeleine Carr
Hanna Eisermann
Ella Emberlin
Shane Higgins
Elizabeth Johnson
Brooke Kain
Rozelynd LaChance
Sarina Lemmy
Jillian Murphy
Allegra Najdek
Ethan Nellson
Eden Ohmen
Jaxxon Rogers
Miguel Santiago-Leyva
Owen Sayler
Eliza Tarsia
Kaelyn Tompkins
Honors
Kieran Bryant
Mia Dunlavey
Jackson Goodwin
William Nichols
Leah Wilcox
Sixth Grade
Highest Honors
Annabelle Bunce
Jackson Farr
Luna Forero
Cole Lidstone
Lucas Wang
Olive Webster
High Honors
Charlotte Allyn
Gleni Canie
Sofia Casadei
Zeira Collins
Timothy Cunningham
Sam Hamlin
Maris Jenter
Kellan Lockton
Jackson Magyar
Natalie Merwin
Max Namer
Guinevere Robinson
August Schaufelberger
Norman Schmidt
Leah Simboli
Graeme Warder
Emilie Webster
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Last summer, Grumbling Gryphons performed “The Snow Queen.”
Provided
CORNWALL — A summer of theatrical events awaits at Grumbling Gryphons Traveling Children’s Theater.
On Tuesday, June 3, at 1:30 p.m. the student body at Cornwall Consolidated School will take part and perform an original production of “The Ghost Net: An Environmental Musical of The Sea.” This production is dedicated to protecting marine life and highlights the dangers of ocean pollution and the importance of environmental stewardship.
Parents and families are welcome. Those interested in attending the performance on June 3 are asked to contact the CCS office at 860-672-6617.
The annual theater arts camp in Cornwall and at Housatonic Valley Regional High School runs from July 28 to Aug. 1. Camp features professional musicians, actors, storytellers and puppeteers.
Grumbling Gryphons will hold its 45th Gala Celebration on Friday, Aug. 1, at 7 p.m. at HVRHS. The performance will feature summer theater campers as well as veteran Gryphon actors, musicians and special guest artists. Ellen Moon will dance as The Golden Lady in her grand puppet for the finale.
For more information, contact Leslie Elias, artistic director, at 860-672-0286 or grumblinggryphons@gmail.com.
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