Conservation Commission

If you need to submit an application for an upcoming meeting, please review our guidance and contact the office (508-979-4023, ext. 9303). MassDEP has also issued specific guidelines for submission of regulatory filings.

If you are unable to attend an upcoming meeting and would like to submit a question about a project in advance, please call the office (508-979-4023, ext. 9303) or send an email to conservation@fairhaven-ma.gov.

To submit a Conservation concern, please utilize the online permitting system.

Who We Are

Day-to-day operations of the Conservation Commission are administered Conservation staff. The office can be contacted by phone or email (conservation@fairhaven-ma.gov). 

The Conservation Commission consists of a maximum of seven voting members appointed by the Board of Selectmen. 

The Commission holds Public Hearings, conducts site visits, issues permits, and conducts enforcement actions. Information on Public Hearings are posted on the Conservation Commission website, the Town Hall Bulletin Board, and in the local free news publication "Fairhaven Neighborhood News".

Approval of your project by any other Board or Department does not constitute approval through the Conservation Commission. Please call the Conservation Office to determine whether or not you need to apply for a permit from the Conservation Commission for your project.

What We Do

The purpose of the Conservation Commission is to protect Fairhaven's wetland resource areas in accordance with the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act (MGL Ch. 131, Section 40) and its Regulations (310 CMR 10.00) and the Fairhaven Wetlands Bylaw and supporting regulations.

The protected resource areas include rivers, streams, brooks, ponds, wetlands, banks, beaches, dunes, salt marshes, and the floodplains. Protection extends 100 feet from the edge of the wetlands, 200 feet from rivers and most brooks and streams, and to the entire floodplain. 

It is illegal for anyone in Fairhaven to dredge, fill, modify, or alter any of these resource areas without first filing for and receiving a permit to do so.

Anyone whose property is within 100 feet of a wetland or within 200 feet of a brook, stream or river who wishes to build, grade, clear, apply herbicides, or to do any work which could alter the resource area must contact the Conservation Commission before doing so.

Some activities in resource areas which fall under the jurisdiction of the Conservation Commission could include:

  • Erecting or demolishing a residence or commercial structure.
  • Erecting a shed, addition, porch, deck, other ancillary structure.
  • Excavating for or erecting a swimming pool.
  • Installing a paved or unpaved driveway or access road.
  • Conducting percolation tests and building of septic systems.
  • Grading or filling within a residential or commercial lot.
  • Cutting or clearing vegetation.
  • Applying herbicides.

Approval of your project by any other Board or Department does not constitute approval through the Conservation Commission. Please call the Conservation Office to determine whether or not you need to apply for a permit from the Conservation Commission for your project.

Staff Contacts

Name Phone
Kelly Camara (508) 979-4023 ext 8129
Bruce Webb (508) 970-4023 ext 8128

Commission Members

Conservation CommissionTitleTerm Expires
Karen Isherwood

Vice-Chair

2024

Jake Galary

Member

2025

Carrie Hawthorne

Member

2024

Ronnie Medina

Member

2026

Andrew Saunders

Member

2026

Anthony Couto

Member

2025

Vacancy One

Member