Last week, NSRWA Executive Director Samantha Woods testified before the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources in opposition of H.4110. This bill would eliminate the North River Commission and transfer responsibility for implementing the North River Protective Order into the hands of the Town’s Conservation Commissions. We believe this would place additional strain on already stressed local town resources, lead to inconsistent implementation and management across all Towns, and weaken the power and effectiveness of the Order.
One of NSRWA’s earliest goals was to develop a regional approach to protecting the North River as a scenic, cultural and recreational resource for the public’s enjoyment. After years of door-knocking and securing agreements from all landowners to place a deed restriction on their property, we successfully petitioned the then Division of Environmental Management (now Department of Conservation and Recreation) to adopt the North River as the first – and still only – Scenic and Recreational River under the State’s Scenic and Recreational Rivers Act in 1978.
Once adopted, the North River Protective Order established the North River Corridor, which restricts development within 300 feet of the riverbank. This is a vital mechanism protecting the North River from unrestrained development and it has been incredibly successful at protecting habitat, increasing property values and tax base, and improving water quality. This success would not be possible without the work of the North River Commission.
The North River Commission (NRC) is made up of appointed members from the 6 towns that fall within the North River Corridor – Scituate, Marshfield, Pembroke, Norwell, Hanover and Hanson. Through the Acts, 1978 – Chap. 367, Section 62, the NRC was created to administer the state’s Scenic and Recreational River Protective Order for the North River. The NRC reviews permits for over 700 properties that lie within the 300 foot protective corridor and manages patrols on the river throughout the summer to enforce the No Wake Zone and ensure safety of all who use the North River. This patrol is not trivial as the river acts as the town boundary between the communities and thus is in everyone and no one’s jurisdiction.
The North River would look and function very differently without this unique protection. The 300 foot protective corridor preserves floodplains and wildlife that maintain the River’s natural character, scenic vistas for the public from the river, protects water quality, and enhances the South Shore’s resilience to climate change by providing critical floodwater storage and reducing storm-related damage.
Anyone who has traveled the upper reaches of the North River has experienced the benefits of this unprecedented regional protection. When we bring visitors from Quincy or Boston into these areas on the pontoon boat, their reactions are immediate and unmistakable—they relax, “wash their week away,” and often express disbelief that they’re still in Massachusetts. This area is unique because of the North River Commission’s regional approach and cooperative efforts, and the proposed legislation’s potential patchwork approach could undo almost 50 years of progress.
The Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources will be accepting written testimony until Tuesday, July 15. If you would like to share your support for the North River Commission and its vital work protecting this shared regional resource click here for instructions on how to submit written testimony (left side of the page). Be sure to include your name, town and connection to the North River