Towns of Bolton and Clinton Bolton and Clinton, MA

Nashua River Communities Resilient Lands Management Project

BSC and our partners worked with the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions to develop a tool that helps municipalities create wetland bylaws and regulations. The tool is based on compiled research and extensive community outreach involving the public, commercial real estate managers, and municipal agency leaders. It allows users to tailor effective and defensible bylaws using a curated set of climate adaptation-focused elements.

As part of the development team, the Towns of Bolton and Clinton were the first communities to apply and test the tool. These updated bylaws provide local officials with stronger, research-backed methods for managing natural lands in ways that enhance community resilience. By adopting improved land management practices and updated regulations, participating towns can more effectively address climate mitigation and adaptation goals while safeguarding critical environmental resources.

The guide focuses on strategic conservation and strengthening the ecosystem services provided by natural lands, including water supply protection, flood management, soil formation, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, and temperature regulation. With increasing development pressure and more frequent extreme weather events, forests, wetlands, and agricultural lands face new challenges, making it essential to reevaluate how these resources are managed and protected.