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Senate amendment would add $400,000 for species reviews and $2 million to cover Fish and Game pay increases
Summary
Senator David Waters introduced an amendment to Senate Bill 239 to add $400,000 for environmental review of threatened and endangered species and $2 million to cover deficits from previously instituted salary increases for the Fish and Game Department.
Senator David Waters, District 4, introduced an amendment to Senate Bill 239 that would add $400,000 to pay for environmental reviews tied to threatened and endangered species and $2,000,000 to cover deficits created when previously authorized salary increases were not continued in subsequent budgets.
The amendment’s $400,000 item is intended to cover environmental review work performed by the Department of Environmental Services and Fish and Game, Senator Waters said; the $2 million is aimed at addressing a funding shortfall tied to salary increases the Fish and Game Department received as part of a prior budget.
Colonel Jordan, representing the Fish and Game Department, told the committee the agency struggles year to year with maintaining staffing and that the department had expected continuing general fund support for a pay raise that the governor initially funded. “When the raises were originally given… Governor Sununu… gave us general fund money to cover those expenses,” Jordan said, and the department had been told the support would be recurring. Jordan said the department tried to use unrestricted Fish and Game fund balances to cover the current year but likely cannot sustain that approach without additional funding.
Mr. Sullivan, who said he was appearing to represent the environmental review portion of the amendment, offered to answer questions about the environmental-review need.
Meredith Hatfield of The Nature Conservancy and Matt Leahy of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests both testified in support of the amendment, describing Fish and Game’s work as central to wildlife conservation and outdoor recreation in the state. Hatfield said the Nature Conservancy “strongly support[s] Fish and Game and the many really important duties that they perform,” and offered to work on a legislative or budget solution. Leahy said the amendment would help the department “carry out these responsibilities.”
Senator Rosemarie asked whether the department could cover the prior raises without cuts; Colonel Jordan and others said that, without the additional funding, the department would likely need to cut staff or services, and that the department had already drawn down unrestricted fund balances.
Committee members and witnesses noted the governor’s upcoming budget could include related proposals or reorganization affecting environmental regulation and funding. Senator Waters described the amendment as a placeholder whose details might be adjusted once the governor’s budget is released.
No formal committee vote on the amendment was recorded during this public hearing segment; the committee closed the public hearing after hearing public testimony and moved on to other items.
The hearing transcript shows supporters emphasizing the department’s role in conservation and public access to natural resources, and Fish and Game staff stressing the short-term need to avoid staff cuts if funding is not provided.
Outlook: Senator Waters said he hopes the amendment or similar language can be used when the committee reviews the House budget; committee members asked for further fiscal detail and expected Fish and Game and administration staff to provide additional information when the governor’s budget is available.
