(a) The commissioner or his authorized representative shall have the right to enter upon any public or private property at reasonable times to carry out the provisions of sections 22a-28 to 22a-35, inclusive.

(b) Any regulated activities conducted upon any wetlands, whether or not such wetlands have been mapped, shall be subject to the provisions of sections 22a-32 to 22a-35, inclusive.

(c) The commissioner shall adopt, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, such regulations as said commissioner deems necessary to carry out the provisions of sections 22a-28 to 22a-35, inclusive, and, as applicable, sections 22a-90 to 22a-96, inclusive. Such regulations shall be consistent with the provisions of the federal Coastal Zone Management Act (P.L. 92-583) and the federal regulations adopted thereunder that pertain to tidal wetlands. Such regulations shall be for the purpose of qualifying the state and its municipalities for available federal grants pursuant to said (P.L. 92-583) and for the purpose of permit coordination with other state and federal programs affecting the tidal wetlands of the state. Such regulations shall establish criteria for granting, denying, or limiting permits giving due regard to the impacts of regulated activities on the wetlands of the state, adjoining coastal and tidal resources, navigation, recreation, erosion, sedimentation, water quality and circulation, fisheries, shellfisheries, wildlife, flooding and other natural disasters and water-dependent use opportunities as defined in chapter 444. The commissioner may also adopt, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, regulations which set forth informational material describing general categories of regulated activities for the purpose of providing permit applicants with more explicit understanding, provided such informational materials shall be consistent with and shall not increase the discretion granted to the commissioner under the policies, standards and criteria contained in sections 22a-28 and 22a-33 and, as applicable, section 22a-92.

(1969, P.A. 695, S. 3; 1971, P.A. 46, S. 1; 138, S. 1; 870, S. 115; P.A. 74-112, S. 1, 2; P.A. 76-436, S. 598, 681; P.A. 77-603, S. 103, 125; P.A. 78-280, S. 5, 127; P.A. 79-170; P.A. 80-356, S. 2, 3; P.A. 88-230, S. 1, 12; P.A. 90-98, S. 1, 2; P.A. 91-308, S. 1; P.A. 93-142, S. 4, 7, 8; P.A. 95-220, S. 4–6; P.A. 99-215, S. 24, 29; P.A. 13-209, S. 2.)

History: 1971 acts added provisions granting commissioner or his representative right to enter upon public or private property to carry out provisions of Secs. 22-7h to 22-7o, empowering commissioner to designate areas in danger of despoilment as wetland before maps are prepared, changed “commissioner” to refer to environmental protection commissioner rather than commissioner of agriculture and natural resources, and, effective September 1, 1971, replaced superior court with court of common pleas except that courts with cases pending retain jurisdiction unless pending matters deemed transferable; Sec. 22-7j transferred to Sec. 22a-30 in 1972 and internal references to other transferred sections were revised; P.A. 74-112 added Subsec. (b) re inspection of wetlands and revision of boundary maps; P.A. 76-436 replaced court of common pleas with superior court, effective July 1, 1978; P.A. 77-603 replaced previous appeal provisions with requirement that appeals be made in accordance with Sec. 4-183 but retained venue in Hartford county; P.A. 78-280 replaced “Hartford county” with “judicial district of Hartford-New Britain”; P.A. 79-170 required that copies of orders and hearing notice be sent by “certified mail, return receipt requested” rather than by “registered” mail and added Subsec. (c) re commissioner's power to make regulations; P.A. 80-356 detailed subject areas of regulations in Subsec. (c); P.A. 88-230 replaced “judicial district of Hartford-New Britain” with “judicial district of Hartford”, effective September 1, 1991; P.A. 90-98 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1991, to September 1, 1993; P.A. 91-308 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) to make the inventory and inspection of tidal wetlands by the commissioner discretionary rather than mandatory deleting provisions in Subsec. (a) re designation of area as wetland before mapping is complete to protect it from despoliation and further provided that certain regulated activities upon tidal wetlands would remain subject to provisions of this chapter regardless of whether they had been mapped; P.A. 93-142 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1993, to September 1, 1996, effective June 14, 1993; P.A. 95-220 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1996, to September 1, 1998, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 99-215 replaced “judicial district of Hartford” with “judicial district of New Britain” in Subsec. (a), effective June 29, 1999; P.A. 13-209 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting provisions re commissioner's authority to inventory all tidal wetlands, hold a hearing on tidal wetland boundary maps and establish the bounds of such wetlands and amended Subsec. (b) by deleting provisions re commissioner's authority to periodically inspect wetlands and revise wetland boundary maps.

Cited. 168 C. 349; 183 C. 532; 209 C. 544.

Cited. 25 CA 401.

Cited. 32 CS 104; 43 CS 386.