In 2014, a joint legislative study committee, referred to as the SB 388 Committee, met to discuss the status of land conservation in New Hampshire and the State Government’s role in promoting voluntary land conservation here. One of the key recommendations of the final report of this committee was the creation of a commission made up a diverse group of community leaders who would be charged with the development of a multi-year land conservation plan. One of the expected outcomes of this commission and its plan is to recommend specific natural resource conservation goals that require greater state investment.
The Legislature approved a bill, SB 38, during the 2015 session which formally established the Commission to Develop a Land Conservation Plan. It held its first meeting on November 3, 2015 and has set a meeting schedule for the first three months of 2016. These meetings are open to the public and start at 3:30 at the State House Room 103. Scheduled meetings so far in 2016 will occur on the following dates:
- January 26
- February 9
- March 1
- March 15
- March 29
Members of the Commission are:
Sen. Martha Fuller Clark;
Rep. Chris Christensen, Chairman of the Committee on Resources, Recreation and Development;
Carol Andrews, Interim Executive Director of the New Hampshire Association of Conservation Commissions;
David Patrick of the Nature Conservancy;
Matt Leahy of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests;
Jeanie McIntyre of the Upper Valley Land Trust;
Tony Guinta representing the Business and Industry Association;
Theodore Tichy of the Fish and Game Commission;
Mary Beth Rudolph of the New Hampshire Association of Realtors;
Rob Johnson of the New Hampshire Farm Bureau Federation;
Jasen Stock of the New Hampshire Timberland Owners Association.