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b. Increased Wetland Buffers Zone Width 



The [Approval Authority] shall require increased standard 

 buffer zone widths on a case-by-case basis when a larger 

 buffer is necessary to protect wetlands functions and values 

 based on local conditions. This determination shall be 

 supported by appropriate documentation showing that it is 

 reasonably related to protection of the functions and values 

 of the regulated wetland. Such determination shall be attached 

 as a permit condition and shall demonstrate that: 



1) a larger buffer is necessary to maintain viable populations 

 of existing species; or 



2) the wetland is used by species proposed or listed by the 

 federal government or the state as endangered, threatened, 

 rare, sensitive or monitor, critical or outstanding potential 



. habitat for those species or has unusual nesting or resting 

 sites such as heron rookeries or raptor nesting trees; or 



3) the adjacent land is susceptible to severe erosion and 

 erosion control measures will not effectively prevent adverse 

 wetland impacts; or 



4) the adjacent land has minimal vegetative cover or slopes 

 greater than 15 percent. 



c. Reduction of Standard Wetland Buffer Zone Width 



The [Approval Authority] may reduce the standard wetland 

 buffer zone widths on a case-by-case basis where it can be 

 demonstrated that: 



1) the adjacent land is extensively vegetated and has less 

 than 15 percent slopes and that no direct or indirect, short - 

 term or long-term, adverse impacts to regulated wetlands, as 

 determined by the [Approval Authority] , will result from a 

 regulated activity. The [Approval Authority] may require 

 long-term monitoring of the project and subsequent corrective 

 actions if adverse impacts to regulated wetlands are 

 discovered; or 



2) the project includes a buffer enhancement plan using native 

 vegetation which substantiates that an enhanced buffer will 

 improve the functional attributes of the buffer to provide 

 additional protection for wetlands functions and values. An 

 enhanced buffer shall not result in greater than a 25 percent 

 reduction in the buffer width, and the reduced buffer shall 

 not be less than 25 feet. 



d. Standard Wetland Buffer Width Averaging 



Standard wetland buffer zones may be modified by averaging 



buffer widths. Wetland buffer width averaging shall be allowed 



only where the applicant demonstrates all of the following: 



l)that averaging is necessary to avoid an extraordinary 



hardship to the applicant caused by circumstances peculiar to 



the property; 



2) that the wetland contains variations in sensitivity due to 



existing physical characteristics; 



3) that low intensity land uses would be located adjacent to 



