Committee lets Division of Historic Resources use Moose Plate funds for program administration

The Resources, Recreation and Development Committee voted that House Bill 663, clarifying permitted uses of Moose Plate grants for the Division of Historic Resources (DHR), ought to pass.

The bill was introduced at the request of the Division of Historic Resources. Representative Karen Ebel, the bill sponsor, told the committee the language clarifies that Moose Plate appropriations may be used not only for capital project grants but also for administration and grant management that keep the program operating.

"This is clarifying language to show that historic resources, in addition to purely using Moose Plate money to replace shingles on a historic building, can also be used for the administration of the program and, obviously, funding of the grants," said Representative Karen Ebel, prime sponsor, Merrimack District 7. She said the Division sought the change after consulting the attorney general's office.

Benjamin Wilson, director of the Division of Historic Resources and the State Historic Preservation Officer, told the committee the clarification would allow DHR to use a portion of its annual Moose Plate appropriation to cover the salary and benefits of the program manager who runs the Moose Plate grant program. "Currently, that position uses approximately 80% of its time managing the Moose Plate GRAMA program, which equates to $101,912 of that position's current total salary and benefits," Wilson said.

Committee members who spoke in favor said the change simply confirms a practice the Attorney General had already said was permissible and helps an agency manage an established 24‑year grant program amid tight budgets.

The committee approved the bill; the roll call in executive session returned a committee recommendation of "ought to pass," and the chair directed it to consent for calendar placement.

The bill does not change eligibility for or the purpose of Moose Plate grants — which are issued to restore publicly owned historic buildings and related resources — but adds explicit statutory language authorizing DHR to recover reasonable administrative costs from its appropriation.

A fiscal packet supplied to committee members shows DHR receives annual Moose Plate appropriations in the range of $250,000 to $300,000; most individual grants historically have been on the order of tens of thousands of dollars. DHR said most grants are typically in the ~$30,000 range and that the appropriation is distributed to municipalities for restoration projects.

If the House adopts the committee recommendation, HB 663 will move to the House calendar for further action.

Votes at exec session: HB 663 — committee recommendation: ought to pass (committee roll call recorded in the executive session).