- Tags:
- Advocacy
New Hampshire's natural landscapes are one of our greatests assets. Photo by Jerry and Marcy Monkman/Ecophotography.
In a letter to Governor Sununu, Forest Society President/Forester Jane Difley, Vice President for Policy Will Abbott, and Public Policy Manager Matt Leahy summarized why the protection of New Hampshire’s natural resources benefits the quality of life in our state. The letter outlined several budget proposals the Forest Society believes will help improve the quality of life in New Hampshire. The Forest Society urged the Governor to include funding for these items in his proposed state budget.
The Governor’s address to the Legislature on February 14 outlined his budget priorities and marked the start of the lengthy process which ultimately will result in a budget for the Fiscal Years 2020 and 2021. We thank the Governor for including $3.5 million for the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program in both years and are encouraged by his plan to increase funding for the Fish and Game Department’s law enforcement needs. His proposal increases funding for the Fish and Game Department’s Law Enforcement Division to $2 million in FY 2020 and $2.2. million in FY 2021. Clearly, he also recognizes the important work the Conservation Officers perform.
The Governor and his budget staff will present his proposal to the House Finance Committee on Tuesday, February 19. After that, the actual legislation containing the Governor’s budget requests, labeled as HB 1 and HB 2, will be introduced in the House and assigned to the Finance Committee. Continue to follow these pages for further updates on the status of the Forest Society’s priorities.
In the meantime, we would encourage readers to contact Governor Sununu and thank him for his support of those important initiatives.