[Green] Williamstown Wetlands

[Dawn Hewitt]

Friends, 

I am sending this to all those who have expressed interest in plans regarding Williamstown Wetlands. That includes members of the Williamstown Women’s Club (who are forming a Friends of the Williamstown Wetlands group), an unaffiliated group of birder friends of mine, and the Green Sanctuary Committee of the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Marietta.

Tomorrow (Tuesday, November 17), the Williamstown City Council will meet at 7:30 p.m. Some of us were planning on attending to speak up for the wetlands and its community value during the public comment period at the end of the meeting. However, according to williamstownwv.org <http://williamstownwv.org/>, the city government’s website, that meeting will be virtual and streamed on Youtube. A link to the Youtube live stream is at williamstownwv.org <http://williamstownwv.org/>. I don’t think this bodes well for a public comment period. Does anyone know how Williamstown City Council accommodates public comments during virtual meetings?

On a brighter front, environmental attorney Katie O’Neill is a new member of the Green Sanctuary Committee. She has provided us with a couple of links regarding wetlands protections of the federal Clean Water Act. See below.  We need to make sure that the Williamstown City Council, the Williamstown Planning Commission, and Chris Bender are aware of this law.

Williamstown Women’s Club: Has Ms. Bender acknowledged receipt of or responded to your letter asking her intentions for the wetlands?  

Finally, Fred Cannon said there was a Facebook page or discussion of the wetlands, but I was unable to find it. Could someone please share that Facebook URL or group name?

We need to keep discussing this, keep in touch, work together. If anyone else has any updates or new information, please share!  We’re all working for the same goal!

Thanks!

—dawn

> 
> Clean Water Act: Wetlands <https://www.epa.gov/cwa-404/exemptions-permit-requirements-under-cwa-section-404>
> https://www.epa.gov/cwa-404/exemptions-permit-requirements-under-cwa-section-404 <https://www.epa.gov/cwa-404/exemptions-permit-requirements-under-cwa-section-404>
> 
> This is a good tutorial on the Clean Water Act: Wetland Case law.
> https://www.ecosystemmarketplace.com/articles/waters-us-part-two-wetlands-clean-water-act/ <https://www.ecosystemmarketplace.com/articles/waters-us-part-two-wetlands-clean-water-act/>
> 

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