A few communities in the Last Green Valley have combined Inland Wetland and Conservation Commissions or no Conservation Commission at all. Research done by the CT Association of Inland Wetland and Conservation Commissions shows that commissions average less than 10% of their time doing pro-active conservation work, because the regulation of inland wetlands and watercourses is so time consuming.

We at GVI believe strongly that every community should have separate Conservation and Inland Wetlands Commissions, and we stand ready to assist those interested in separating a combined commission. Do not be afraid of finding enough volunteers to staff both commissions. Our experience is that a well focused Conservation Commission, properly advertised in town, rarely has difficulty finding enough members. Further, GVI stands ready to assist in recruiting and training new volunteers in your community.

What follows is a step-by-step guide to creating a separate Conservation Commission in your community.

STEP 1 - Evaluate current levels of support
Is there support for a separate Conservation Commission within the Board of Selectmen, town council and/or and other existing Commissions? Without such support the effort will no doubt encounter difficulty.

If sufficient support for a separate Commission is not there, postpone action and start educating folks about why this is important. The GVI can provide information and assistance in educating your community on the role and importance of a separate conservation commission.

STEP 2 - Find someone to take the lead
Every effort needs someone to take charge and keep things moving forward. An existing Commission, an ad hoc subcommittee of an existing Commission, or a small group of interested citizens can fill this role. The existence of even a small group of interested citizens will demonstrate to the Board of Selectmen or town council that filling the new Commission will not be a problem.

Once this group is identified, part of their job will be communicating with key town boards and Commissions and the public on their progress.

STEP 3 - Prepare an ordinance
Examine conservation ordinances and commissions in neighboring communities of similar size and demographics. We recommend basing your town’s ordinance on one used to create a commission in your town (for instance the IWC) and plugging in language from the CT General Statute to address the roles and responsibilities of a Conservation Commission.

Section 7-131 of the CT General Statutes addresses the establishment of conservation commissions and the duties they must perform. The conservation commission is an official body of the municipality, created by vote of the local legislature (town meeting or town council), with its members appointed by the chief executive officer.

Each municipality will have different parliamentary procedures to establish conservation commissions. Often this requires a special ordinance or an amendment to the municipal charter. Each town will have different procedures and the Town Attorney should be consulted to establish the necessary format.

Draft an ordinance to submit for vote of the town meeting or town council. When consulting the Town Attorney, determine the procedure for ordinance review. Some municipalities require an ordinance be discussed and/or voted on at an annual or special town meeting. If passed the ordinance may become effective (15) fifteen days after publication in a newspaper.

STEP 4 - Prepare by-laws and determine the structure of your Conservation Commission.
According to state law a conservation commission MUST perform the following:

1. Keep an index of all open areas
2. Conduct research into the utilization of land areas of the municipality
3. Administer gifts to the municipality for the Commission's purposes, subject to the terms of the gift
4. Approve, prior to submission, state grant-in-aid applications for programs to restrict the use of open space land to conservation or recreation purposes.
5. Keep records of meetings and activities; make an annual report to the municipality

In addition, conservation commissions may (among other things):

1. Propose a Greenways Plan for inclusion in the PoCD

2. Make recommendations on proposed land use changes to other boards and commissions

3. Recommend plans and programs for the use of open areas

4. Request technical assistance from the DEP and elsewhere as needed

5. Coordinate the activities of volunteers

6. Implement community outreach

7. Formulate watershed and drought management plans

8. Acquire land and easements in the name of the municipality

9. Apply for state open space grants

10. Manage town owned parks and open space

Diversity in commissioners' backgrounds can be of great benefit to the commission.
The members of the commission should elect officers. Consider a subcommittee structure within the commission. Subcommittees are helpful in staying on track and meeting goals.

STEP 5 - Establish goals and objectives and review them periodically.
Probably the most important tool for a conservation commission is an accurate Community Resource Inventory.

Once an Inventory is completed, it can be used to develop a plan of conservation and open space, and can be updated as new natural resource information becomes available.

For commissions still in their formative years, small-scale projects are more likely to result in a positive experience than large-scale projects that may tax new commissions' limited resources. Frequent small successes will help prevent boredom and maintain enthusiasm while accomplishing larger tasks.

STEP 6 - Use training and education resources.
The commission should strive to keep abreast of legal, social and scientific trends. Assistance is available from many institutions, including:

• The Green Valley Institute provides continuing support in the form of technical assistance and educational opportunities.
• Connecticut Association of Conservation and Inland Wetland Commissions (CACIWC) will provide one "Handbook for Conservation Commissions". Free of charge to each newly forming Conservation Commission. Additional copies are available for a fee of $6.00. www.caciwc.org
• The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection www.dep.state.ct.us
• The Working Lands Alliance www.workinglandsalliance.org
• The Nature Conservancy www.nature.org
• Land Trust Alliance www.lta.org

STEP 7 - Establish ongoing communication with other Boards and Commissions
The Board of Selectmen needs to understand and support your work, as do the Boards/Commissions of Finance, Economic Development, Planning and Zoning and Inland Wetlands. Regular communications with these groups is critical to long-term success.

The Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) in particular should have a close working relationship with the Conservation Commission. Examples of specific, critically important cooperation between P&Z and Conservation include:

• Using the Conservation Commission's NRI and open space plan as a foundation of each new or updated Plan of Conservation and Development;
• Offering the Conservation Commission the opportunity to review subdivision and other land use change proposals, compare them to the NRI and open space plan, and comment on their potential impacts on the town's natural resources.

By Holly Drinkuth with Steve Broderick & Susan Westa, 11/01