Resources
Flood Zone and Coastal Hazards
- Fairhaven Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program - A summary of Fairhaven's ongoing Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program process, including community input on local areas of concern.
- New Bedford Harbor Port Resilience - the Town of Fairhaven partnered with the City of New Bedford to evaluate the impact of sea level rise on Port infrastructure and develop Resilient Design Guidelines to guide all future development around the Port and a Maritime Business Toolkit to keep our existing economy thriving through change. Resources include Resilient Design Guidelines, Maritime Business Resilience Toolkit, Harbor Port Assessment Summary, and actions you can take to prepare your household or business.
- New Bedford-Fairhaven Coastal Viewer - This dataviewer includes the mean higher high water tidal benchmark, probability of inundation, and 1% depth of inundation for Present Day, 2030, 2050, and 2070. Press the details icon in the upper left corner of the screen for additional data information. Use the layers icon to turn data layers on and off.
- Homeowner's Handbook to Prepare for Coastal Hazards - This handbook was created to help homeowners prepare for natural hazards to reduce the risks and damages to family and property.
- The Complete Guide to Flood Safety and Preparedness - This guide, created by the National council for Home Safety and Security, offers information about flooding, preventative meaasures, and resources for those living in flood-prone areas.
- StormSmart Coasts Program - The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) StormSmart Coasts Program provides information, strategies, and tools to help communities and people working and living on the coast to address the challenges of erosion, flooding, storms, sea level rise, and other climate change impacts. The program also promotes effective management of coastal landforms, such as beaches and dunes.
- Coastal Landscaping in Massachusetts Plant List - Find landscaping options for controlling coastal erosion and preventing storm damage, provided by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) StormSmart Coasts Program. The native plants listed here are good choices for the rugged coastal conditions of Massachusetts.
- Landscaping to Protect Your Coastal Property from Storm Damage and Flooding - This fact sheet from the StormSmart Coasts Program provides suggestions for native plantings and other landscaping options specific to coastal habitats to protect your home from flooding and storm damage.
- Raise Your Home, Lower Your Monthly Payments - This fact sheet from the StormSmart Coasts Program provides information on how to protect buildings and reduce monthly flood insurance expenses with freeboard.
MassDEP
- MassDEP Wetlands Protection Webpage - This webpage contains links to policies, regulations, guidance documents, maps, and frequently asked questions on Wetlands issues.
- MassDEP's Lakes and Ponds Program - This webpage contains information about Massachusetts' lakes and ponds program. The Lakes and Ponds Program works primarily in the DCR State Park system to protect, manage and restore valuable aquatic resources.
- MassDEP's Waterways FAQs - This webpage contains information on the Chapter 91 waterways permitting process, which protects waterways for public use.
- MassDEP's Aquatic Restoration Program - This webpage contains information on Massachusetts' numerous programs that focus on the restoration of its rivers, wetlands, and watersheds.
Mapping
- MassGIS Online Mapping Resources - Massachusetts Geographic Information Systems (MassGIS) webpage which includes online mapping capabilities and a Wetlands datalayer viewer.
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center - This webpage contains an interactive map that allows you to search for your address to determine which flood zone the property is in, if any.
- Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program Regulatory Maps - This webpage contains links to Priority and Estimated Habitat maps and additional resources.
- Assessor Maps - This webpage links to the Fairhaven Assessors Department page containing property maps for the town.
Other Information
- Environmental Permitting in Coastal Massachusetts - The Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) has developed an overview of environmental permitting in Massachusetts.
- Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions - The Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions (MACC) website contains useful information and support for Conservation Commissions and the general public.
- Wetlands Protection Act FAQs - A list of frequently asked questions about the Wetlands Protection Act answered by MACC.
- Bristol County Registry of Deeds - This webpage contains information on recorded and registered land in Bristol County (Southern District), including a search portal for registered and recorded land.