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News

  • THE SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF NH FORESTS AWARDED THREE LCHIP GRANTS

    December 4, 2019

    CONCORD, N.H. (Dec. 4, 2019)--The Board of Directors of the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP) has announced $3.5 million dollars in matching grants awarded to thirty-three projects across the state, including the Society for the Protection of NH Forests’ ( ...

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  • Governor Vetoes SB 74 To Increase LCHIP Money

    Matt Leahy
    July 26, 2019

    On July 12, Governor Chris Sununu vetoed SB 74. This bill proposed to increase the total dollars available for grants awarded each year by the New ...

  • LCHIP Supplement Before NH House

    Matt Leahy
    May 24, 2019

    On May 28, the House Ways and Means Committee will vote on SB 74 which aims to increase the level of funds the State provides LCHIP each year. As ...

Senate Overrides Governor’s Veto of LCHIP Bill but Bill Dies in the House

Matt Leahy
September 20, 2019
LCHIP
Stillhouse Forest, Canterbury, is an LCHIP project recipient. Photo by Jerry Monkman/Ecophotography.

Despite a strong 17-7 vote in the Senate in favor of overriding Governor Sununu’s veto of Senate Bill 74, which would have increased dedicated funding for the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP), the legislation died in the House when it was unable to get the two-thirds majority needed to have it enacted. The Governor vetoed the bill in July. If approved, SB 74 would have increased the surcharge from $25 to $35 for the recording of certain documents at the registries of deeds. This proposal would have added an additional $1.5 million each year to LCHIP’s budget.

The Forest Society strongly supported the bill. We would encourage our members to thank those legislators who supported the veto override. Despite the disappointing outcome, it is clear the majority of our elected representatives in the House and Senate recognize the important benefits LCHIP brings to our state. 

It is important to remember LCHIP’s annual budget is set as part of the overall State budget process.  Not surprisingly, the Governor’s veto of the State’s operating budget for Fiscal Years 2020 and 2021 and the protracted negotiations between legislative leaders and the Governor to find a compromise has created uncertainty among all the organizations, agencies and municipalities, including LCHIP, who depend on the state budget to operate.

However, the veto of SB 74 does not mean the program will be left without any resources in the coming year. The proposed State budget the House of Representatives and the Senate approved prior to the Governor’s veto of it included $3.5 million for both FY 2020 and FY 2021.  Given the support it has, we are confident any budget solution will include this level of funding for LCHIP. 

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Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests54 Portsmouth St.Concord, NH 03301
Phone: 603.224.9945Fax: 603.228.0423info@forestsociety.org
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