The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, in consultation with the River Protection Advisory Committee, shall prepare a model river protection ordinance which may be used by any municipality in this state in adopting ordinances or regulations for the protection of rivers. Such model ordinance may include, but need not be limited to, recommendations for the modification of municipal plans of development and zoning, subdivision, site plan and wetlands regulations as necessary to allow implementation of a river protection ordinance or regulation. Such recommendations may concern tourism, navigation, utility and transportation rights-of-way and water-dependent recreational, industrial, commercial, agricultural and other uses, as well as proposals for specific setbacks from the river, dimensions of new lots and buildings, restrictions on cutting of vegetation, restrictions on earth-moving for mining or other purposes, prohibited activities and regulation of paving and other forms of impervious ground cover. Such plan may also include recommendations for incentives for property owners to protect lands within the river corridor and to develop such lands in a manner that is compatible with resource protection. Such incentives may include tax credits for donation to appropriate parties of open space easements or land development rights and incentives for cluster development.

(P.A. 98-105, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 98-1, S. 110; P.A. 11-80, S. 1.)

History: June Sp. Sess. P.A. 98-1 made a technical correction; pursuant to P.A. 11-80, “Commissioner of Environmental Protection” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection”, effective July 1, 2011.