Update to Lake Related Legislation

[tummyman]

Always nice to see that the three sponsors are all from Hillsborough County. Is there even a puddle there to float a boat ???

[tis]

Originally Posted by tummyman

Always nice to see that the three sponsors are all from Hillsborough County. Is there even a puddle there to float a boat ???

Isn't that usually the way it is? People who have no idea making rules for us- again.

[TiltonBB]

I don't understand this:

"The current law states that houseboats are allowed on inland waters overnight if on owned or leased land with permission from the property owner and after notification to NHDES."

How can you be on inland waters if you are on "owned or leased land"? There is something missing in this sentence.

[Garcia]

I am not a fan of allowing overnight mooring. At this point it seems like the lake is in such high use the marine patrol has challenges keeping up. I would be concerned about people spending the day at a sandbar and continuing their fun through the night without a significant increase in resources to be ready to address problems before they arise. Do I think the majority will abuse the privilege - no. It's the minority who feel rules and common sense don't apply that will become problematic. Many on the forum express frustration with a wide range of issues today including wake boat issues, noise problems, wake zone issues, poor choices at sandbars, etc. If the current staffing level of the marine patrol struggles to resolve these concerns (again, seems a common notion among the forum) adding in the issue of overnight mooring will only add to the problem.

It's too bad because the idea of allowing overnight mooring is a good one - it's the implementation and consequences that concern me.

[Lake Winnipesaukee Alliance]

Originally Posted by TiltonBB

I don't understand this:

"The current law states that houseboats are allowed on inland waters overnight if on owned or leased land with permission from the property owner and after notification to NHDES."

How can you be on inland waters if you are on "owned or leased land"? There is something missing in this sentence.

I should of phrased that better...here is the RSA

270-A:2 Where Overnight Mooring Permitted. – A HOUSEBOAT may be beached or grounded, or tied to the shore of any of the inland surface waters of the state for an overnight period, or any part of an overnight period, only when on or at a location owned, leased, or otherwise under the control of the owner or operator of the HOUSEBOAT or by permission of the owner, lessee, or person otherwise in control of such location. An unoccupied HOUSEBOAT may be anchored on the inland surface waters of the state for an overnight period, or any part of an overnight period, only in an area reasonably adjacent to a location owned, leased, or otherwise under the control of the owner or operator of the HOUSEBOAT or by permission of the owner, lessee, or person otherwise in control of such location.

[HalfMiler]

Many thanks for the ongoing updates regarding the sewer line ruptures along route 25 in Center Harbor. Can anyone provide insight to the rights and responsibilities of the involved parties - the line owner, the town, the state, the impacted property owners?

[Descant]

There are some marina based transient docks--or at least there used to be--municipal docks could follow that model, charging a fee. Mostly they sent a police car around in the middle of the night to see that nobody is there. No big deal to have them check for a flag or other tag that shows they paid a fee. Most towns already have restrooms near the docks, so that shouldn't be an issue. Of course, a "houseboat" would already have a state inspection sticker for their plumbing facility.

[Lake Winnipesaukee Alliance]

Originally Posted by HalfMiler

Many thanks for the ongoing updates regarding the sewer line ruptures along route 25 in Center Harbor. Can anyone provide insight to the rights and responsibilities of the involved parties - the line owner, the town, the state, the impacted property owners?

Yes! There is a two town “sewer district” made up of Moultonborough and Center Harbor. The Bay District Sewer Commission is an elected commission made up of 3 commissioners who manage the Bay District collection system in the two towns, as far as I know they employ one part-time engineer to oversee the general operation of the system. This system is a part of the Winnipesaukee River Basin Program (WRBP) which falls under the jurisdiction of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES). Although the Sewer District falls under the oversight of the WRBP, they are still responsible for contacting NHDES and EPA to report a spill- which they have done for the Jan 16,2024 rupture and the November 2023 rupture which was approx. 60 ft. away. According to NHDES the culvert was blocked, lined, cleaned, and repaired and is not thought to be a concern for a chronic source of point pollution into the Bay. They will continue to test and monitor the area for E.Coli and pathogens.

The larger concern in our opinion is that this is the second break in a fairly short period of time in one localized area. Our infrastructure statewide is aging and is something that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later. In addition to age, climate change is also thought to be a factor in pipe failures due to changes such as temperature and precipitation.

[Lake Winnipesaukee Alliance]

We are sending this e-mail update to our subscribers this afternoon. It goes into more detail about upcoming bills. Rather than copy that info word for word, I thought it might be best to summarize here:

Legislative Updates

HB 1049 (Overnight Mooring of Houseboats):
-Committee received 200+ emails against.
-Committee voted 18-2 (ITL).
-Moves to Full House
*Because the vote was not unanimous it will go to the Full House Committee where it may or may not be debated on. A few members of the committee did note that they may like to see a version this bill return next year, but changed to consider ROW for property owners, seasonal housing opportunities, and water quality.

HB1103-FN (Shoreland Protection Act Penalties):
-Committee voted unanimously OTP (Ought to Pass).
-Advancing to the Senate.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Upcoming Public Hearings:

SB431 (Wake Surfing):
Hearing: 01/30/2024, 1:00 pm, Legislative Office Building 101, SC5.
Committee: Senate Transportation.
LWA Position: Oppose.
Adds restrictions on wake surfing; LWA opposes due to potential ineffectiveness.

There is another bill regarding wake boating and wake sports that will be coming before the RR&D Committee. HB1390 will define a "Wake sports zone” as an area of a waterbody that has a minimum of 50 contiguous acres that are at least 500 feet from shore on all sides and is at least 20 feet deep, located on a lake, pond, or reservoir. LWA plans to support HB1390 as providing the restrictions needed to ensure that wake surfing does not erode shorelines or negatively impact water quality.

To put this in perspective, we have created a map showing the 150 ft., 200 ft., and 500 ft. distances from shore on Lake Winnipesaukee. You can clearly see that a 500 foot setback from shore would not limit the areas in which people can wake surf - there's a lot of lake out there!

Click Here to View Map of 150 ft, 200 ft and 500 ft shoreline buffer.


HB1143 (Cyanobacteria Blooms under NH Clean Lakes Program):
Hearing: 01/31/2024, 10:00 am, Legislative Office Building 305.
Committee: House Resources, Recreation, and Development.
LWA Position: Support.
Requires NHDES to address cyanobacteria blooms; LWA supports as a mechanism for NHDES control and mitigation of blooms.

HB1229 (Purchase and Sale of Shoreland Property):
Hearing: 01/31/2024, 2:00 pm, Legislative Office Building 305.
Committee: House Resources, Recreation, and Development.
LWA Position: Support.
Requires acknowledgment of shoreland water quality protection act compliance standards during property transactions.

[longislander]

To view the shoreline buffer map, some readers of this thread, like myself, have adblockers or virus control on their laptops. You might have to temporarily disable them in "extensions". I've got Adblock Plus and PC Matic and had to go to extensions at the top right corner of my laptop page (three dots), click on extensions and disable. Then go back and enable again for back to protected.

Thank you Lake Winnipwsaukee Association for your efforts.

[tummyman]

LWA>>>>> Need to know when HB 1390 is scheduled so we can voice support !!

[longislander]

HB1390
Title: relative to regulating wakeboating and wakesports.
Sponsors: (Prime) Tanner (D), Rung (D), Vail (D), Darby (D), Prentiss (D)

Introduced 01/03/2024 and referred to Resources, Recreation and Development HJ 1

House Committee: Resources, Recreation and DevelopmentDue Out: 3/21/2024 Status: IN COMMITTEE

LSR Number: 24-2480

[upthesaukee]

Search NH.gov and navigate to Legislative Branch>Bill Tracking System>hb1390>enter.

It should come up with the bill, currently being shown in committee.

Dave

[longislander]

https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/


https://gencourt.state.nh.us/lsr_sea...R_Results.aspx


https://legiscan.com/NH/legislation/2024

[tummyman]

Got all that and have had all the info, but cannot see where it has been scheduled for action by the commitee, which is important to send comments along.

[longislander]

[I]"As of today, January 27, 2024, there is no specific date scheduled for NH House Bill HB1390 to be discussed in the Resources, Recreation and Development Committee. However, based on the available information, it's likely to happen soon:

Current Status: HB1390 was introduced on December 6, 2023, and referred to the Resources, Recreation and Development Committee on January 3, 2024. This means it is currently pending review by the committee.
Committee Schedule: The committee's next scheduled meeting is Tuesday, January 31st, 2024, at 11:00 AM. While the agenda for this meeting has not been officially released yet, there is a possibility that HB1390 could be included.
Previous Activity: While HB1390 hasn't been formally discussed yet, the committee did recently hold a hearing on another bill related to environmental regulations on January 22nd, 2024. This suggests an increased focus on natural resource issues, which could make HB1390's discussion more likely in the near future.
Therefore, while there's no confirmed date yet, keep an eye on the Resources, Recreation and Development Committee's agenda for their January 31st meeting, as HB1390 is likely to be discussed soon. You can find the committee's schedule and agendas on the New Hampshire state website: https://ballotpedia.org/Resources,_R...epresentatives

[Descant]

Originally Posted by tummyman

Got all that and have had all the info, but cannot see where it has been scheduled for action by the committee, which is important to send comments along.

Tummyman: sorry for the long answer.

Sending your comments should be done without delay. Controversial bills will generate emails in large numbers, including many from "auto-maii" websites from lobbying groups across the country. Waiting 'til the end means your email may get lost in the flood. Important to put for/against and 2-3 words about topic in the subject line. A phone call is more effective than an email and you may learn that your rep is already supporting your position. If so, send a "thank-you" confirming that support.

Knowing how to read the calendar is helpful, as it uses many unique terms like executive session, early bill, crossover, etc. Many committees will say in the calendar that the committee may meet in Executive session at any time, as time allows. This could mean a vote, or simply discussion, a report from a sub-committee or a proposed amendment. An "early bill" usually means one that goes to a second committee, such as Finance. Since the bill has already had a public hearing, the second committee may or may not have a second public hearing, but they will likely hear from the prime sponsor and somebody to represent the vote(s) of the first committee. There has to be an affirmative vote on the floor (OTP or OTP/A) before the scheduling with the second committee.

Last point: Reps have lives and families too. That means dinners and Boy Scouts, etc. S/he may not be home or read email the night before a hearing or a floor session. If you wait until the day/night before, you're too late. Things move very quickly at this time of year.

[John Mercier]

When writing the email.
Attach one name at a time... multiples may end up in a SPAM folder.
You can copy and paste the field, but don't use a form letter as that has less impact.
Send to the email address of each of the sponsors of the bill, and to each of the committee members.

If you have the time, attend the public hearing and sign in either in support or opposition... and fill out the card if you feel the need to speak.

Keep any testimony on track, you can even read it from a paper if that helps.

[Sue Doe-Nym]

My husband has tried to reach one of the sponsors of the bill, a Mr. Griffin, I believe, and has had no response from him. We both shudder at the thought of more lake pollution. Unfortunately, some people are ignorant about the importance of keeping our waterways clean, and some just don’t give a healthy damn just as long as they are having fun and the keg doesn’t run dry. Hopefully, the bill will be defeated.

[John Mercier]

Usually a sponsor of a bill cannot be swayed from their support of the bill... so really not someone the opposition should try to contact.

It is up to the members of the House when it hits the floor. Most often, an ITL from the committee will signal its defeat.

[Major]

Irwin Marine has weighed in. I received this email message today.


TOMORROW! Public Hearing for SB 431:
Support the Wake Responsibly Campaign

SB 431, the bill that codifies the 200 ft setback distance for wake surfing promoted by the Wake Responsibly campaign, is scheduled for a public hearing on TUESDAY, JANUARY 30TH AT 1:00pm before the Senate Transportation Committee in Room 101 of the Legislative Office Building in Concord.

The NH Marine Trades Association, Water Sports Industry Association, National Marine Manufacturer Association, USA Waterski & Wake Sports, Lakes Region Tourism Association and many boating families support SB 431 as a reasonable regulation for wake surfing that DOES NOT define any boat type or ban the sport. The 200 ft setback has passed in a couple of other states to date (TN, SC, GA) and is backed by a peer-reviewed scientific study. This bipartisan effort promotes the “Buffer NOT Ban” approach. We will continue to oppose HB 1301 & HB 1390, which would severely limit or potentially eliminate the ability to wake surf, but support SB 431. http://gencourt.state.nh.us/remotecommittee/senate.aspx

How Can Boaters Support SB 431?
1. Testify in Support. We are pleased that we already have a number of boaters able to testify in favor of SB 431. All of the Senate Transportation Committee members are co-sponsors of the bill, so we hope it is a good hearing.
2. Attend and Stand in Support of SB 431. There will be sign-in sheets for those who want to support SB 431 but not testify. If you are able to attend the hearing, please do. The more people that stand in support, the better!
3. Register Support on SB 431 through the On-Line Sign-In Portal: See below for directions. We were very successful in the sign-in against HB 1301. Let’s do the same to SUPPORT SB 431:
- Utilize the sign-in form located on the General Court website: CLICK HERE TO ACCESS FORM.
- You are encouraged to sign-in well in advance of the hearing. This online form will allow you to sign in on a bill as soon as it has been scheduled for a hearing.
1. Click on the date that the bill you are interested in is being heard: January 30th.
2. Under the drop-down menus:
Select the committee that is hearing the bill: Senate Transportation.
Select the bill you are interested in: Senate Bill 431.
Select a category: Member of the Public.
3. If you are representing an entity or someone other than yourself, enter that information.
4. Indicate that you SUPPORT the bill by checking the appropriate circle.
5. Click continue.
6. Enter your name and contact information.
7. Click continue.
8. Carefully review that the information you have entered is correct. If it is correct, check the box and click continue. This completes the sign in process.
** Note – there is an option to email the full Committee with a statement. If you decide to email them, be positive – note that all of the members are co-sponsors of SB 431! Thank them! **

[Lake Winnipesaukee Alliance]

Originally Posted by tummyman

LWA>>>>> Need to know when HB 1390 is scheduled so we can voice support !!

Not scheduled yet. I'll let you know ASAP! The House and Senate Calendars are posted every Friday, indicating when bills will be heard by committee, go to exec session, status etc. Here is a link to where you can find these. You can also sign up to get updates for specific bills.

https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/hou...dars_journals/
https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/sen...dars_journals/

[John Mercier]

Originally Posted by tis

Isn't that usually the way it is? People who have no idea making rules for us- again.

There are residents in Hillsborough that do not own lakefront property, or use marina access, but being public they technically ''own the lake'' as much as anyone else in NH.
So the people asking for the rule change have an idea what they want to do.

I suppose that removing the vessel from a lake, and then having to trailer home, back early in the morning, and wait at the public launch... if parking can be found... and relaunch they consider a hassle.

[codeman671]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

There are residents in Hillsborough that do not own lakefront property, or use marina access, but being public they technically ''own the lake'' as much as anyone else in NH.
So the people asking for the rule change have an idea what they want to do.

While I agree they have the same rights to the lake as anyone else, do they actually have an idea of what they are trying to change or the effects?

[Lake Winnipesaukee Alliance]

Link to the public hearing for more info from the constituents

https://www.youtube.com/live/BwtgqP6...Uh4bUaUxcGbfb1

[John Mercier]

Originally Posted by codeman671

While I agree they have the same rights to the lake as anyone else, do they actually have an idea of what they are trying to change or the effects?

They know what they are trying to do. The effect on the lakes does not seem to be a concern.

The other group of representatives are worried about the effect on the lake.

[Descant]

There's some irony here. The people who would most want to sleep overnight on the hook, would mostly be trailer-able boats, pontoons and bow riders, not properly equipped. Larger boats with holding tanks, enclosed staterooms, etc already have a place at a marina and don't need to anchor overnight.

[John Mercier]

In the end, a raft, a Jolly Roger on a broomstick, and a port-a-potty.
"Properly - Equipped'' will be defined by the masses without lakefront property.

[Pine Island Guy]

the word from the Pine Islanders is that the Bill in question was killed 18 to 2 today

No further info

But anyone have an info on the ice thickness from Meredith Neck out to Bear or Pine?

Thanks!! -PIG

[John Mercier]

HB1049 had Executive scheduled today... so it could not have had a floor vote.
18 to 2 would most likely signal an ITL recomendation.

There was a similar bill before that got the same reaction...

[longislander]

A bill is considered killed when the House or Senate votes to adopt the committee report of "Inexpedient to legislate," or when a motion from the floor to "Indefinitely postpone" is adopted.


https://www.nh.gov/almanac/bills.htm...20is%20adopted.

[John Mercier]

The House or Senate did not vote.
The Executive is for the committee to vote on its recommendation.

The House or Senate has a vote either the day after or at an even later date.
We call that a floor vote. It will not be 18-2.

[tis]

Just imagine a Braun Bay overnight!!

[Descant]

Originally Posted by tis

Just imagine a Braun Bay overnight!!

With The Dive to provide music, food, toilets, etc. The state could make overnighting a real money maker...

[tis]

Originally Posted by Descant

With The Dive to provide music, food, toilets, etc. The state could make overnighting a real money maker...

Perfect.

[John Mercier]

Don't try to sugar-coated.

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

Don't try to sugar-coated.

Yo John…try replying to the post your referring to…your post are ridiculously hard to figure out who you are replying to….i know your smart enough to do that….

Dan

[Descant]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

Yo John…try replying to the post your referring to…your post are ridiculously hard to figure out who you are replying to….i know your smart enough to do that….

Dan

Following FLL?

[tis]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

Yo John…try replying to the post your referring to…your post are ridiculously hard to figure out who you are replying to….i know your smart enough to do that….

Dan

I am glad I am not the only stupid one that didn't get it.

[John Mercier]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

Yo John…try replying to the post your referring to…your post are ridiculously hard to figure out who you are replying to….i know your smart enough to do that….

Dan

The concept of the temporary houseboats is like bob houses on the frozen lake.

The State should not see any significant tax advantages.
Promoting it as a revenue producer is sugar coating it at best.
There may be a jump in local revenue, but that would be offset by where the revenue would have been if this option doesn't exist.

It is a push/pull.

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by Descant

With The Dive to provide music, food, toilets, etc. The state could make overnighting a real money maker...

Hotel California.

[martbri7]

Originally Posted by tis

Just imagine a Braun Bay overnight!!

Hold my beer watch this !! 😂

[tis]

Not only would it be a free vacation not having to pay taxes or for a slip, how could Marine Patrol possible monitor the boats to see if they left after three days. This is ridiculous.

[John Mercier]

More than likely they will adopt the permit system used for the OHRV and Snowmobiles.

It will have the dates on them and be posted in a way to be noticed.

That permit will cover costs of enforcement/etc and ease the process.

It does make lakefront vacations cheaper... which I think is there point.

The only problem I can really see... and haven't really thought deeply about this... is that there seems to be no limitations to the numbers permitted.
That could/will, in my mind, create problems over time should this take off.

Obviously limiting the numbers really just takes us back to where we are currently, with not everyone being able to access when they want, how they want.

[Lake Winnipesaukee Alliance]

Thank you everyone for contacting the House of Representatives. We listened in today to the full House session, and a motion was made for an Indefinite Postponement of HB1049. This effectively kills it, as it will not advance to the Senate. The vote was 324 in support to 53 opposed. The representative who made the motion stated that they had received overwhelming opposition to this bill. Thank you for your support!

[John Mercier]

53 is a lot more than I expected.

[FlyingScot]

Originally Posted by Lake Winnipesaukee Assoc

Thank you everyone for contacting the House of Representatives. We listened in today to the full House session, and a motion was made for an Indefinite Postponement of HB1049. This effectively kills it, as it will not advance to the Senate. The vote was 324 in support to 53 opposed. The representative who made the motion stated that they had received overwhelming opposition to this bill. Thank you for your support!

Great job by the Lake Winnipesaukee Association staff in organizing the opposition. Thanks!