Click here to submit a wetlands application via NewGov.

Wetland permit applications are only accepted through the NewGov online portal; Newton Conservation no longer accepts paper applications.

Most wetland permit applications must also be submitted to state DEP. The state accepts applications either via paper or online. The state online application portal is  called eDEP.

NewGov and eDEP are two separate platforms/processes.

The Conservation Commission meets every three weeks, year-round. Find the meeting schedule here.

For new applications, the submittal deadline is at noon 16 days prior to the public meeting at which the applicant wishes to be heard. A complete wetland filing application is required at that time. Incomplete submissions will not be accepted.

For continuations, the deadline for revised materials is Monday, 10 days before the meeting, at noon. More time may be required for complicated cases. All materials should be submitted via NewGov.

One of three wetland permit applications may be required, depending on the nature and scale of the proposed project and its potential impact on the nearby wetland resource.

• Certain minor activities (such as planting native species, digging a test pit, or removing a hazardous tree) may be eligible for Administrative Approval by Conservation staff. Contact the Conservation Office is you think your project may be exempt or so minor as to not require a full permit.
• Small-scale projects (such as wetland delineation or a minor activity occurring in only the outer Buffer Zone) may be able to be permitted through a Request for Determination of Applicability (RDA).
• Large and/or complex projects (such as construction, grading, land clearing, vegetation disturbance, or changes to drainage) will likely require an applicant to file a Notice of Intent (NOI).  

If you have questions, contact the Conservation Office. Please note that other City permits (e.g. Building, Engineering, Historical) may be required.

RDA applications must include:

• WPA Form 1 - Request for Determination of Applicability
• scaled plans
• a $50 City of Newton filing fee check

NOI applications must include:

• WPA Form 3 - Notice of Intent
• scaled plans
• a project narrative
• a description of how the project meets each relevant performance standard
• a $50 City of Newton filing fee check
• DEP Fee Transmittal Form
• Abutter Notification
• Abutter Notification Affidavit of Service
• Abutter List

NOI attachments for some applications.

• Stormwater Checklist
• Riverfront Area Alternatives Analysis
• Flood Zone Cut-and-Fill Calculations      
• Wildlife Habitat Protection Guidance Appendix A
• Wildlife Habitat Protection Guidance Appendix B 

NOI instructions and miscellaneous information: 

• WPA Form 3 Instructions and Supporting Materials
• Fee Schedule and Instructions
• Abutter Notification Requirements and Options
• Abutter List Request Form

NOI permits must be closed out with a Certificate of Compliance. Upon completion of your NOI project, you must submit to the Conservation office:

• WPA Form 8A - Request for Certificate of Compliance
• A signed and stamped as-built plan
• Letter from the engineer or landscaper, per the Order, stating that the project was completed in substantial compliance with the approved plans and conditions.

Notices of Resource Area Delineation (ANRAD) applications require this DEP form:

• WPA Form 4A - Abbreviated Notice of Resource Area Delineation

Any change to a Conservation-approved plan must be submitted to the Conservation Office for review and approval. Submit revised plans and accompanying Plan Change Memos via NewGov. Revisions must be clearly dated. 

Click here for a sample Plan Change Memo.

Under the state Wetlands Protection Act and Regulations, any land-altering work proposed within: 

• 100-feet of a vegetated wetland, intermittent stream, or pond
• 200-feet of a perennial (year-round) stream
• FEMA Floodplain and/or City Floodplain

must be reviewed and permitted by the Conservation Commission.

Land-altering activities such as grading, construction, tree or shrub removal, drainage projects, etc. are all regulated activities.

Please note, many projects will require compliance with the City Floodplain Ordinances (City Floodplain and FEMA Floodplain) and/or the City Stormwater Ordinance and its related Regulations.

• Riverfront Area Redevelopment Guidelines
• 25-ft Naturally Vegetated Buffer Policy
• Bounds Required by Conservation Commission
• Deadline for Receipt of Materials Policy
• Flood Zone Policy
• Growing Seasons Survival Policy
• Guidance for Resource Area Delineations
• Invasive Species Control Policy
• Mitigation and Restoration Planting Area Guidelines
• Vernal Pool Determination Guidance

• My Property Has Wetlands - What Does That Mean?
• Recommended Native Plants
• Piped Streams Jurisdiction
• Guidance to Conservation Commissions: Beavers (DEP)
• Calculating Fill in Flood Zone
• Things to Consider when Building and/or Landscaping in Flood Zone

Examples of Complete Applications

• Demo single family home, construct two-family home in Riverfront Area
• Single family home, pool construction in flood zone
• Large public project
• Stormwater O&M plan (residential example)

Local Professionals

Wetland Professionals and Resources that have come through the Conservation office