Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Environment Water Quality topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee hears plan for ‘Loon’ conservation plate to fund cyanobacteria mitigation
Summary
Lawmakers and state scientists described growing cyanobacteria blooms and endorsed HB 105, which would create a voluntary conservation license plate to fund a state cyanobacteria mitigation loan and grant fund; officials said the plate alone will not cover needs but would provide a steady non‑tax revenue source.
Representative Rung, sponsor of HB 105, told the House Transportation Committee the proposed “Love New Hampshire Lakes” (loon) conservation plate would create a non‑tax revenue stream for the cyanobacteria mitigation loan and grant fund managed by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.
“I'm very pleased to introduce HB 105… to provide a nontax revenue source for the cyanobacteria mitigation loan and grant fund,” Representative Rung said, noting toxic cyanobacteria blooms are increasing across New Hampshire lakes and can pose health and economic risks.
The committee heard scientific and agency testimony about the scope and cost of mitigation work. Amy Smagoula, director of the Limnology Center at the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, said the DES has issued more than 120 cyanobacteria warnings in recent years and that the agency’s one‑time appropriations to the mitigation fund — roughly $1.5 million originally — are nearly spent. “We use 70,000 cells per milliliter as a threshold,” Smagoula said, describing the lab standard the agency uses for public warnings.
Smagoula and other witnesses described how watershed studies, watershed‑based plans and implementation projects — culvert work, stormwater and shorefront fixes, and, in some cases, in‑lake aluminum treatments — are expensive. Costs for individual projects range from several thousand dollars to hundreds of thousands; DES staff said some lake mitigation efforts have ranged from $250,000 to $500,000. Agency staff said watershed management plans often cost $50,000 or more and can take about 18 months to complete.
Andrea Lamoreau, president and policy advocate for New Hampshire Lakes, described a survey of lake associations that indicated strong interest in a lake‑themed specialty plate. Lamoreau said many respondents who do not now buy specialty plates would consider the loon plate, and that lake groups expect plate revenue would add a modest but sustained funding source to support studies and match federal grants.
Committee members asked about likely revenue. Representative Rung pointed to the Moose Plate program — roughly $30 million generated since 2001 — and said even a modest share of that annual revenue would help DES fund watershed planning and priority projects, but he and DES staff cautioned the plate would not replace larger capital needs. “It likely would go to ensure that we do those watershed management plans,” Representative Rung said.
Liz Michaud of the Division of Motor Vehicles told the committee adding a new specialty plate would create a minimal operational impact: a template, a small system change and coordination with plate production vendors.
Several towns’ representatives and lake association advocates testified in support, citing lost tourism revenue, local health risks and property impacts from blooms. DES staff urged the committee to view the plate as one tool among many to sustain ongoing mitigation work.
HB 105 was heard but not voted; sponsors asked the committee for a recommendation of “ought to pass” to create the plate and fund the cyanobacteria mitigation account. The bill’s fiscal and implementation details — plate fee level, distribution rules and administrative steps — would be finalized in rulemaking or implementing language if the committee advances the measure.
