Estuaries Update #71: Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership

March 2009, #71

Featured Item

Next meeting is the second in the Living Resources and Habitat Restoration series on March 19, at the NH Department of Environmental Services Coastal Office at Pease Tradeport from 9 a.m. to Noon in Portsmouth, NH. At this meeting the action plans for this theme will be discussed.

Email Dave.Kellam@unh.edu to register.

February PREP Activities

New Publications

Stakeholder Meeting
2-4-09:PREP hosted the first of three "Living Resources and Habitat Restoration" stakeholder meetings to gather input to update PREP's CCMP. Eleven participants discussed goals and objectives in this theme area.

PREP Coastal Watershed Land Protection Transaction Grants 2008 Funding Round

In 2008, fourteen projects received PREP funds to support transaction costs associated with permanent land conservation projects in the New Hampshire coastal watershed. A maximum of $3,000 was granted to each project, with a single organization eligible to receive up to three separate awards. Funds were granted to eight different organizations, all of which were land trusts or town Conservation Commissions. Projects were completed in nine different towns, with the total acreage of land permanently protected reported at 984 acres. Nine of the fourteen projects were located in priority Conservation Focus Areas identified in The Land Conservation Plan for New Hampshire's Coastal Watersheds. Twelve of the fourteen projects protected stream or river shoreland habitat, with a total estimated distance of 23,510’ (4.45 miles) of shoreland receiving permanent protection. The majority of projects utilized conservation easements as the primary land protection mechanism and involved significant financial compensation to the landowner. PREP invested a total of $40,880 towards the transaction costs associated with the 14 projects, which was matched by $94,789 worth of cash and in-kind contributions by grant recipients. The total real market value of the land permanently protected through the work of project partners is estimated to be $6.56 million. Read Report

Conservation Easement Stewardship and Monitoring and Assessment of Newfields Conservation Lands

Through PREP’s Community Technical Assistance Program, Ibis Wildlife Consulting worked with the Newfields Conservation Commission to improve easement stewardship practices and conduct an inventory of conservation lands to assist with future land protection activities. The consultant prepared seven monitoring plans and completed two baseline documentation reports for town-held conservation easements. The consultant also prepared annual monitoring reports for five conservation easements. In addition, the consultant completed an inventory of existing conservation lands in town, totaling nearly 1,200 acres. Read Report

Announcements
PREP Grant/Program Opportunities
Planning Boards and Conservation Commissions from New Hampshire and Maine communities in the PREP focus area are eligible to apply for project assistance through the Community Technical Assistance Program. Municipalities and conservation organizations can apply to PREP's Land Transaction Grant Program for funding to support transaction costs for projects in New Hampshire's coastal watersheds.

Land Resource Management Workshop
This workshop is geared towards those involved with land development, conservation, and management, such as consultants, municipal employees, non-profit organizations, and volunteers. Topics include Comprehensive Shoreland Protection Act (CSPA), Alteration of Terrain, Stream Crossings, Aquatic Resource Mitigation Fund, Antidegradation and Impaired Waters, Subsurface Systems Bureau.The workshop will be offered on March 27, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at NHDES offices in Concord. Fee for the workshop: $15, or $20 for CEU certificate. Read More

PREP Supports Municipal Registration Fees for Stormwater Center Workshops
In 2009, the UNH Stormwater Center is conducting a series of stormwater Best Management Practices (BMP) workshops at its field facility on the Durham campus. PREP will pay registration fees for municipal staff and Planning Board and Conservation Commission members for the 52 Maine and New Hampshire communities in the PREP focus area. Register at Stormwater Center’s website. Confirm eligibility by contacting PREP.

Updates on the Alteration of Terrain Regulations and Model Stormwater Management Ordinance for Municipalities
The Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Coastal Training Program (GBNERR CTP) is hosting a meeting for municipal decision makers that will update participants on the New NHDES Alteration of Terrain (AOT) Regulations and on the Model Stormwater Management Ordinance for Municipalities. The meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m. on March 19, 2009 at the Hugh Gregg Coastal Conservation Center in Greenland. RSVP to Steve.Miller@wildlife.nh.gov. Read Flyer

Tidelines Focuses on Land Conservation
The latest edition of Tidelines, the NH Coastal Program's electronic newsletter, includes many articles on land conservation in the Seacoast Region.

Oiled Wildlife Volunteer Training Workshop

Courtesy of Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research, Inc

The NH Department of Environmental Services, NH Department of Fish & Game, the Coastal Response Research Center at University of New Hampshire, and Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research, Inc have partnered to offer an "Oiled Wildlife Volunteer Training" workshop that includes information on safety, medical protocols and cleaning techniques as well as rehabilitation needs of animals both before and after cleaning. Pre-registration is required and attendance is limited to this free workshop that begins at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, April 18, 2009. Contact Rebecca Dunne at rdunne@tristatebird.org or 302-737-9543 x109 to register.

Hampton Stormwater Seminar
2-12-09:The Natural Resources Outreach Coalition (NROC) team hosted a public forum on stormwater as part of an NROC project with the Town of Hampton. The forum included presentations from NHDES on stormwater and water quality impairments, the UNH Stormwater Center on research results for various stormwater treatment approaches, and an update from the town on efforts to improve Hampton's stormwater regulations.

New Durham CTAP
2-17-09:PREP staff attended the kick-off meeting for the New Durham stormwater regulations improvement CTAP project. The meeting provided an opportunity for the New Durham Planning Board and Appledore Engineering to discuss stormwater management issues and the plan for developing draft regulations for the town.

Coordination of New Hampshire Culvert Studies
2-18-09:PREP staff attended a meeting hosted by The Nature Conservancy to discuss statewide efforts to assess, inventory, prioritize, and improve road/stream crossings. Many organizations are working to improve aquatic habitat connectivity by replacing undersized or failing culverts. Efforts can be improved if complimentary methodologies are utilized across the state.

Partnership to Restore New Hampshire Estuaries Meeting
2-18-09:PREP staff attended a meeting of the Partnership to Restore New Hamsphire's Estuaries (PRNHE) that included planning of a signing ceremony to commemorate the PRNHE, development of potential restoration projects appropriate for federal economic stimulus funding, and a discussion of potential restoration projects.

Stakeholder Meeting
2-19-09:The second stakeholder meeting to address Water Resources for the CCMP Update attracted 29 participants who created a list of more than 100 actions to be considered in the new CCMP due out in early 2010.

CCOM Tour
2-19-09:Staff from PREP, NH Coastal Program, the Great Bay NERR, and NOAA Coastal Services Center, participated in a tour of the UNH Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping (CCOM). Research scientists from CCOM discussed current projects and described data available for New Hampshire's coastal zone. The group developed ideas for future collaboration.

Senate Bill 168 Hearing
2-19-09:PREP submitted testimony to the NH Senate Committee in support of SB168 that would establish the “Coastal Watershed Alliance” to promote better inter-municipal planning to address the threats caused by wastewater pollution, stormwater, and sprawl.

Newington CTAP
2-23-09:Staff from PREP and UNH Stormwater Center met with the members of the Newington Planning Board and Conservation Commission to kick-off a CTAP project aimed at improving the municipality's stormwater regulations.

Maine Land Conservation Plan for Great Bay Watershed
2-26-09:PREP staff helped facilitate an expert stakeholder meeting in support of a new land conservation plan for the Maine portion of the Great Bay watershed. Stakeholders from agencies and conservation groups in southern Maine provided guidance on data to identify top priority "Conservation Focus Areas", and the relative weights of the input data that will be used in the GIS analysis for the project. Staff from Maine's "Beginning With Habitat" program are leading the GIS analysis and map development work.

Wiswall Dam Assessment
2-27-09:PREP provided comments to the Natural Resources Conservation Service on the Wiswall Dam Fish Passage Environmental Assessment regarding the study of dam removal and fish passage improvement options.

Upcoming Events

	3-19-09: Stakeholder Meeting: Living Resources & Habitat Restoration #2 9 a.m. - Noon, location NHDES Coastal Office (Pease), Portsmouth, NH.
	3-31-09: Management Committee Meeting 9 a.m.-12 p.m., NHDES-Coastal Office, Portsmouth
	4-1-09: Stakeholder Meeting: Water Resources #3 1-4 p.m., NH Fish and Game Region 3 Office, Durham, NH
	4-15-09: Stakeholder Meeting: Land Use and Habitat Protection #2 1-4 p.m. location Hugh Gregg Coastal Conservation Center, Greenland, NH
	4-29-09: Stakeholder Meeting: Living Resources & Habitat Restoration #3 1 - 4 p.m., location Urban Forestry Center, Portsmouth, NH.
	10-16-09: 2009 State of the Estuaries Conference 8 a.m.- 4 p.m., location Great Bay Gallery, Somersworth, NH.

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