About the IWWC

Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission

The Town of Willington’s Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission (the Commission) is responsible for the implementation of three separate and distinct regulations:

• Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Regulations, adopted September 14, 2009 and effective September 18, 2009;
• Aquifer Protection Regulations, adopted June 22, 21009 and effective July 1, 2009; and
• Forest Practices Regulations, adopted June 25, 2018 and effective July 14, 2018

Inland Wetlands and Watercourses: The purpose of the Commission is to protect the citizens of the Town by implementing provisions for the protection, preservation, maintenance and use of inland wetlands and watercourses by minimizing their disturbance and pollution; maintaining and improving water quality; preventing damage from erosion, turbidity or siltation; preventing loss of fish/wildlife and habitat; deterring and inhibiting the damage of flood and pollution; protecting the quality of wetlands and watercourses for their conservation, economic, aesthetic, recreational, other public and private uses and values; and protecting potable water supplies. This is especially important given the current changing climate. The Commission provides an orderly process to balance the need for economic growth and the use of land, with the need to protect the environment and ecology in order to guarantee the people of Willington and its future generations the safety of such natural resources for their benefit and enjoyment. Regulatory authority for the Commission is found under the Town of Willington’s Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Regulation (Section 1 through Section 20) as mandated by Connecticut General Statutes (CGS), Section 22a-36 through 22a-45. The Commission implements the purposes and provisions of these Regulations.

Aquifer Protection Regulations:  The State of Connecticut has established the Aquifer Protection Area Act/Program (CGS Sections 22a-354a to 22a-354bb) to identify critical water supply aquifers and to protect them from pollution by managing land use.  The Town’s Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission is established as the Aquifer Protection Agency in accordance with the “Ordinance for the establishment of an Aquifer Protection Agency” (the “APA Ordinance”), effective May 5, 2004 and implements the purposes and provisions of the APA Ordinance and the Act. The Commission adopted the Aquifer Protection Area Regulations for the protection of Connecticut State delineated aquifers, one of which is located within the Town.

Forestry Practices Regulations: At a Special Town meeting held on June 20, 2017, the Town adopted a resolution that authorized the Commission to regulate forest practices pursuant to CGS Section 23-65k. The Commission adopted regulations for the purpose of protecting the forest land within the Town’s jurisdiction by governing the conduct of forest practices. Forest practice means any activity which may alter the physical or vegetative characteristics of forest land that is undertaken in connection with the harvest of commercial forest products, except that an “exempt conversion of forest land” as defined in the regulations, shall constitute a forest practice under these regulations.

Commission activity during the period July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018: The Commission held 9 regularly scheduled meetings, conducted numerous site walks, reviewed 13 applications and approved and permitted 11, held one public hearing, issued one Notice of Violation, and collected $7,211.33 in revenue. The budgeted money was allocated to advertising for public hearings, continuing education classes, wetlands courses and professional development for staff.

Members of the Commission include: Co-Chairs Dave Schreiber and Tessa Gutowski, Mark Drobney, Patrick Lord and alternate Greg Blessing. The Land Use Department provides administrative, enforcement, technical and clerical support to the Commission. In addition,staff also provides guidance to the citizens of our community with regard to the IWWC regulations.