Next hearing: Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, TUESDAY, March 18, 2025 at 9:20 a.m. Location: State House, Room 103. Attend in person or submit testimony remotely. Senate remote sign in instructions below.
Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Testimony to House Resource Recreation and Development Committee. Concerns that HB 127 “may be in conflict with” RSA 12-A:9-V (b)
OHRV access to Connecticut Lakes Headwaters: 18 weeks; May 23 -September 30.
Hunting season for upland bird hunters; 7 weeks; October 1 to November 19.
Unintended consequences could include the weakening of conservation easements – which would have impacts across New Hampshire. Headwaters’ Conservation Easement specifies primary and secondary permitted recreational activities. HB 127 displaces a primary activity (hunting) for a secondary (OHRV riding.)
NH Fish and Game Report 2023: Hunting licenses 125,727; Fishing licenses 119,945; Hunt/Fish Combo 30,303; OHRV Registrations 40,053.
HB 127 by-passes current OHRV Study Commission, established in 2022 “to study the use of OHRVs in New Hampshire” and “propose legislation.” HB 127 has not been presented to or reviewed by the Study Commission, which includes all the stakeholders involved with OHRV riding – businesses, landowners, abutters, conservation groups, OHRV clubs, Bureau of Trails, Fish & Game Department, municipalities, law enforcement.
https://gc.nh.gov/remotecommittee/senate.aspx. 3rd page includes link to email testimony directly to Senate Committee members.
Majority and Minority Reports from House Calendar, Friday, Feb 7, 2025, pg 10 below:
MAJORITY: OUGHT TO PASS. Rep. Arnold Davis for the Majority of Resources, Recreation and Development. This bill would allow a 10 mile section of OHRV trail in Pittsburg, NH to remain open until Columbus day to align with the rest of the trails in this area. These connector trails will bring much needed revenue to the Town of Pittsburg. The representative of the owner of the property had no objection to this bill. The chairman of the HB 1188 commission to study the use of OHRVS in New Hampshire spoke in favor of this bill and presented an informal
poll of the commission showing the majority of those voting in favor of this bill. A petition was submitted
with over 700 signatures in support of keeping the trails open. Local businesses were in support of this bill.
Before this bill was filed, a request was made to DNCR to extend the OHRV riding season with no success.
Support for this bill was filed by the District 1 Executive Councilor, Joseph Kenney. Vote 11-5.
MINORITY: INEXPEDIENT TO LEGISLATE. Rep. Will Darby for the Minority of Resources, Recreation and Development. The Connecticut Lakes Headwaters is a large tract of privately owned forest lands in Coos County with a conservation easement held by the State of New Hampshire permitting the public’s use of wide ranging outdoor recreational activities. The Connecticut Lakes Headwaters Citizens Committee, consisting of a broad set of stakeholders from surrounding towns, was created in RSA 12-A:9-V (b) to advise state departments on compliance with the conservation easement and uses on the lands. A new five-year management plan was adopted by the Citizens Committee in April 2024, and no requests were received to increase the operating period at public hearings while it was developed. New Hampshire Fish and Game opposes the two-week operation period extension in this bill because it conflicts with the beginning of small game season, when a large number of Granite State and non-resident hunters visit the North Country in pursuit of ruffed grouse and woodcock, often hunting near the same trails used by OHRVs which puts expensive bird dogs at risk from these fast moving vehicles. The Head of Trails for
the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources testified that the season can be extended by petitioning
the commissioner by April 1st, thereby alleviating the need to modify the statute. Ultimately, this bill allows
the legislature to usurp local control to favor one activity over others, disregards inputs from the HB 1188
commission to study the use of OHRVs in New Hampshire, and is unnecessary since non-legislative solutions
can extend the permitted period of OHRV use on the Connecticut Lakes Headwaters’ trails in time for the
2025 season.
The House Resource Recreation and Development Committee voted to pass HB 127-FN 11:5. House passed 198-180.