DNCR presents parks, forests, library and cultural funding priorities as visitor numbers and grant-making remain high

Commissioner Sarah Stewart presented the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources——s budget overview and said DNCR operates large and diverse programs while relying on limited general-fund support.

Parks and recreation

Brian Wilson, director of the Division of Parks and Recreation, told the committee New Hampshire State Parks have become among the most enterprise-funded park systems in the country, funding operations primarily through user fees. Wilson reported roughly 3 million recorded visitors across DNCR-managed lands in 2024, about 1,300 campsites with an overall occupancy rate of 86 percent and "weekend occupancy" that reached near capacity at many parks. He said the system——s fee revenue supports grant programs (including Land and Water Conservation Fund grants and recreation-trail grants) and local projects: "In 2024 we issued over almost $11,000,000 in grant funding externally to the agency," Wilson said, noting the grants reached more than 200 municipalities and nonprofit groups.

Parks managers also described infrastructure needs. Wilson and the commissioner reminded the committee that facility rehabilitation is capital intensive—bathhouse projects and utility upgrades can cost hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars—and noted DNCR received ARPA funding for several park projects. Wilson said DNCR recruits roughly 800 seasonal staff each year and runs programs that reach thousands of schoolchildren and families.

Forests and lands

State Forester Patrick Hackley said DNCR manages about 170,000 acres of reservations (the department overall accounts for more than 220,000 acres of state-owned land). The division generates revenue from timber harvesting and nursery sales; Hackley reported 200,000 to 300,000 seedlings sold annually and said ARPA funds helped install irrigation at the state nursery and procure a commercial cooler to stabilize seedling inventory.

Forest protection staff, Hackley said, conduct rural fire patrol and supply equipment and training to municipal fire districts; the division recently used ARPA funds to renovate several historic fire towers. Forest Health and Natural Heritage staff monitor pests, disease and rare species and conduct thousands of environmental reviews a year.

Library, arts and historic resources

Deputy State Librarian Mindy Atwood described the State Library——s holdings (around 500,000 items) and its role as the primary public-record and reference library for state government and residents. She said the library leverages roughly $1.5 million in federal funds (Institute of Museum and Library Services) to provide services to visually and physically disabled residents and to sustain a statewide interlibrary-loan network that moves about 160,000 items annually; the library operates a fleet of vans that log over 220,000 miles a year in distribution.

Adele, director of the State Council on the Arts, said the council awarded more than 220 arts grants in the last period, across areas including arts-in-health, artist fellowships and public-arts projects; the council is primarily federally funded and marked a 60th anniversary. Director Ben Williston of the Division of Historical Resources summarized 1,900 annual reviews of projects with federal or state funding triggers, oversight of federal historic tax credits, Moose Plate grants and archaeological work including a summer field school and unmarked-grave reviews.

Ending

Commissioner Stewart said DNCR uses limited general-fund support strategically to leverage federal matches: she told the committee the agency leverages general fund allocations into larger federal matches for cultural programs and that park, forests and cultural divisions continue to prioritize preservation while managing infrastructure backlogs and workforce needs.