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Committee hears bill to add environmental protections to state development plan
Summary
Supporters told the Resources Committee HB334 would add natural‑resource protections and environmental threats (PFAS, waste disposal, contamination) to the state comprehensive development plan so future updates guide agency coordination on lakes, forests, wetlands and coastal lands.
A sponsor (testimony introduced by a representative) urged the committee to include natural‑resource considerations and environmental threats in the state Comprehensive State Development Plan, saying recreation and tourism already contribute hundreds of millions to the New Hampshire economy and that protecting water, air and soils supports that economy. The sponsor said the plan has not been updated recently and argued a proactive, coordinated plan would help identify environmental threats — citing PFAS, MTBE and other contamination — before they require costly cleanup.
Andrea Lamoreaux of New Hampshire Lakes told the committee HB334 would help state and regional agencies coordinate to restore and preserve lake and river health. Elizabeth Harper of the Lake Sunapee Protective Association said proactive protection is typically less expensive than later remediation and urged the committee to support inclusion of environmental objectives.
Committee members asked about the plan's update schedule; the sponsor said it was intended to be updated regularly (historically on roughly a 10‑year basis) but had not been actively maintained. Questions addressed the bill’s scope beyond water, with the sponsor noting the language includes waste disposal, chemical and biological contamination, and natural resources such as shorelands, wetlands and forests.
The bill's proponents framed the measure as a planning housekeeping and coordination change to guide agencies during the next plan update rather than an immediate programmatic funding change. The hearing record closed after supporters finished testimony.
