The mission of Environmental Planning and Conservation is to effectively manage natural resources such as land, water, soil, plants and animals.  Natural resource management is interrelated with the concept of sustainable development, a principle that forms a basis for land management and environmental protection.

Seventy percent of the land in the United States is privately owned, making stewardship by private landowners absolutely critical to the health of our Nation’s environment.

The management of natural resources is a challenge. The high density of residential and commercial development, multiple land use interests and a high concentration of protected natural resource areas at the tip of Cape Cod creates the need for comprehensive management and conservation of the environment.

At the 2011 Annual Town Meeting changes to Town General ByLaw Chapter 12 - Wetlands Protection Bylaw were adopted. These changes expanded the local jurisdiction of the Conservation Commission to now include all areas mapped through the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP) as areas protected under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act (MESA). This expanded jurisdiction includes Estimated Habitat of Rare Wildlife and Priority Habitat of Rare Species.

A map of this regulated area is located by clicking here.

This expanded local jurisdiction provides the Conservation Commission the ability to review project proposals and make determinations to best protect the interests of wildlife habitat and protected species in these areas.

At a minimum the Conservation Commission requires that an Administrative Review Application be filed with the Conservation Agent for any proposed work within the new jurisdiction. If the proposed work meets one of the existing exemptions provided by NHESP then that shall be stated on the Administrative Review Application and a determination will be made by the Conservation Agent or the Commission to that effect.

To view an Administrative Review Application click here.
To view a list of the exemptions through the NHESP and the Guidelines click here.

Check out this video link to a short film produced about the Shank Painter Wildlife Sanctuary and the world's largest quaking bog on a barrier beach in the world!  Found here in Provincetown. 

Provincetown Conservation Commission