In 2019, the New Hampshire House of Representatives approved Senate Bill 269 by a vote of 220-137. The legislation proposes to make an appropriation to the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) to perform an Ecological Integrity Assessment (EIA). The Forest Society supported the bill and worked with Senator Ruth Ward in advancing the legislation out of the New Hampshire Senate last year.
This vote is a critical step in improving the ability of the State to protect and manage the publically-owned lands under its stewardship. Because the bill proposes to spend $50,000 from the State’s General Fund to develop the EIA, the House Finance Committee must approve this expenditure.
On January 21, a subcommittee of the House Finance Committee will hold a work session to determine if spending $50,000 on this tool is an appropriate use of state funds. Although a work session is not a public hearing, the subcommittee will not be taking public testimony. We encourage readers to urge members of the subcommittee to approve the appropriation called for in SB 269.