Joseph Cormier: Local conservation commissions will now be elected, instead of appointed

To The Daily Sun,

The new year is upon us and what lies ahead? Budgets will be coming out shortly and the fun begins.

Aside from the customary issues, what will come up via petitions or “new stuff” from the governing bodies? One possibility is conservation commissions are to be elected, instead of appointed. This could show up on the Town Meeting warrant articles by the selectboard placing on the warrant or 25 registered voters submit a petition to place on the warrant for a town vote.

RSA 36-A:3 changed in 2024 and became effective July 19, 2024. Not legal advice, but this is the statute that changed under HB 1302 that now allows conservation commissions (ConComs) to be elected instead of “appointed”. If a town votes to elect conservation commission members it would occur the next year on the Tuesday official ballot.

Selectboards, naturally, support appointed folks to serve the town; one less headache for the selectboard. Ever wonder why the same faces are on these “appointed” entities? How many builders or contractors are on these ConComs? How does the statewide New Hampshire Association of Conservation Commissions affect parochial town issues? According to its website: “More than 1,500 volunteers serve on the state's 217 conservation commissions. They are tasked with conducting natural resources inventories, coordinating land protection, wetland permit review, and recommending local ordinances.”

New Hampshire has 221 towns and 13 cities. It would seem the agenda of 217 ConComs representing 221 town would be closer to a statute, rather than a town issue; different towns, different issues.

Feb. 4, 2025, is the deadline for a petition to be placed with the March Town Warrant for a vote. March 11 is the Tuesday official ballot vote. Moultonborough now votes in March. Town Meeting, and probably school district meeting, will be the following Saturday.

Joseph Cormier

Moultonborough