Fish & Game seeks capital funds to replace 30‑year backhoe; agency says derby fish match is paused this year

New Hampshire Fish and Game asked the Senate Capital Budget Committee on Monday to approve capital funding to replace an agency backhoe and discussed a temporary pause to a long‑standing program that matched town fishing‑derby fish purchases.

The agency’s executive director, Stephanie Simic, told the committee the current backhoe is "over 30 year[s]" old, can no longer be repaired reliably and has become a staff‑safety concern. She said the agency is requesting capital funding so the $350,000 purchase can be financed over 20 years rather than paid from operating funds at once.

The backhoe is used statewide across the agency’s lands, facilities, fisheries and wildlife divisions for projects including boat‑launch construction, bridge work and road building. Simic said the agency has “band‑aided” the machine for years, has struggled to source parts and has even been advised by an outside vendor to surplus the unit.

Committee members asked whether the equipment’s use is seasonal and whether leasing or sharing equipment with the Department of Transportation could meet needs; Simic said the machine is used year‑round and that leasing proved expensive. Senator Grama asked the agency to confirm conversations with DOT before the committee votes; Simic said those conversations had occurred previously and she will follow up.

Committee members also pressed Simic about a recent decision to pause the department’s matching contribution for fishing derbies. Senator (Chair) described public frustration after local derby hosts said they paid substantially more this year to outside vendors for fish. Simic said she made the temporary pause decision after reviewing fish‑production projections tied to hatchery capacity and described it as a "temporary pause for this year" while the department reassesses options. She said derby hosts and nonprofit partners still can purchase fish from vendors and that the department is “reassessing” whether to restore a match next year.

The committee discussed whether the backhoe is properly a capital item; Treasurer Monica Mizzapelli and others noted capital financing is typically used for items with useful lives of 20 years or more. Simic said the agency expects a new unit to last many years. The committee did not vote at the hearing.

A follow‑up from the committee asked the agency to (a) confirm DOT conversations about equipment sharing and (b) provide more detail about the derby decision timeline and alternatives for next year.