2025 Lake Friendly Bills
These Three LAKE-FRIENDLY BILLS Need Our Help
On January 29, the House Resources, Recreation, and Development Committee voted the following three lake-friendly bills “Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL),” meaning that the majority of the committee believes these bills should not pass.
- HB 332, enabling multiple municipalities surrounding a lake to form a village district around the lake to protect and restore lake health.
- HB 334, adding a section to the state comprehensive development plan identifying lake and river protection trends and proposing policies and actions to protect our lakes and rivers.
- HB 422, increasing the penalty that the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services may levy upon anyone violating the Shoreland Water Quality Protection Act.
The votes for each of these three bills in favor of the ITL motion was 9-7. All 9 Republican committee members voted in favor of the ITL motions. All 7 Democrat committee members voted not in favor of the ITL motions.
NH LAKES and lake associations throughout the state support the passage of the following bills, which will help restore and preserve the health of New Hampshire’s 1,000 lakes.
_______________________________________________
HB 332:
This enabling legislation allows municipalities to ask voters to create a village district around a lake to restore and protect lake health.
The voluntary formation of a village district for this purpose could help municipalities bordering the same lake work together more effectively and efficiently. For example, the voters could approve the district’s development and enactment of consistent lake-friendly septic systems, polluted runoff, and fertilizer regulations around the lake.
_______________________________________________
HB 334:
The State Comprehensive Development Plan outlines a vision for the state’s future growth, allocates resources, and guides local governments and state agencies in their planning efforts. Adding a section to the plan identifying trends in lake protection and proposing policies and actions necessary at the state level to protect them is needed. There must be a balance between future development and protecting lake health.
_______________________________________________
HB 422:
This bill increases the penalty that the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) may levy upon anyone who violates the Shoreland Water Quality Protection Act (SWQPA) from $5,000 to up to $15,000 per violation. Increased fines may deter people from knowingly violating the Act and may also encourage violators to work with NHDES to correct violations. The SWQPA establishes a protected shoreland area close to lakes, rivers, and streams. Within this area, vegetation removal, excavation, fill, fertilizer use, and development activities are regulated to safeguard waterbody health. The fines for violations have not increased with the cost of inflation over the years.
Be sure to:
Use an email subject line such as: “OPPOSE the ITL on HB 332, 334, & 442 on Feb. 13.” Identify that you are a constituent from their district. (It’s okay if you don’t permanently live in the district. If you spend part of the year or vacation there, they want and need to hear from you!)
Tell your brief personal story about why they should help save these bills by OPPOSING the ITL motions. Remind them that restoring and preserving the health of all of New Hampshire’s lakes is good for our quality of life, good for business, and good for the economy. Clean and healthy lakes are good for everyone. Let them know how to reach you if they have questions or would like to learn more. Please cc SLAM (lakemanager@silverlakemadison.com) and NH LAKES (alamoreaux@nhlakes.org) on your emails.