Terms and Definitions
Amphibians: A group of vertebrate animals characterized by their ability to exploit both aquatic and terrestrial habitats.
Buffer zones: Protected zones established around sensitive or critical areas – such as wildlife, breeding or hibernation habitats, streams, and wetlands – to lessen the impacts of human activity and land disturbance.
BioCore Habitat: Specific areas necessary to promote the long-term persistence of Species of Conservation Concern, exemplary natural communities, and intact ecosystems.
Biodiversity: All the different kinds of life you’ll find in one area – the variety of animals, plants, fungi, and even microorganisms like bacteria that make up our natural world.
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Conservation Commission: a municipal environmental agency responsible for protecting the community's natural resources. To learn more about conservation commissions, visit the Conservation Commission Page.
CR - Conservation Restriction: A conservation restriction, formerly known as a conservation easement, is a means authorized by Sections 31-33 of Chapter 184 of the Genera l Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts1to limit the use of land in order to protect specified conservation valu es including the natural, scenic or open condition of the land.
DEP: MassDEP's mission is to protect and enhance the Commonwealth's natural resources - air, water, and land - to provide for the health, safety and welfare of its people. For more on MassDEP, visit their website.
Hydrology: The scientific study of the movement, distribution, and management of water on Earth and other planets, including the water cycle, water resources, and drainage basin sustainability.
Non-Point Source Pollution: Any source of pollution that does not meet the point source definition under the Clean Water Act, which is any discernible, confined and discrete conveyance such as pipes, ditch, tunnel, conduit, container.
Notice of Intent: A notice that an environmental impact statement will be prepared and considered.
Passive Recreation: low impact non-motorized outdoor recreational activities or uses that do not require developed facilities and can be accomplished without change to the area, topography, or resource. Activities include walking, hiking, cross country skiing, snowshoeing and observing nature.
Reptiles: A group of tetrapods with a cold-blooded metabolism and amniotic development.
Riparian Zone: Land that occurs along the edges of rivers, streams, lakes, and other water bodies. Examples are streambanks, riverbanks, and floodplains.
StreamStats: A Web-based Geographic Information Systems (GIS) application that provides users with access to an assortment of analytical tools that are useful for a variety of water-resources planning and management purposes, and for engineering and design purposes.
Watershed: A watershed is an area of land that drains water to a common body of water. It is the land that the water flows across or under to get to the lowest point. Visit the About Your Watershed page for more information about watersheds and to see which watershed is yours.