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Vote to override SB 365 and SB 446

Thank you to Sen. Avard for his continued support for the override of the veto by Gov. Sununu of SB 365 and SB 446.

The young people we encourage to stay in or move to New Hampshire and visitors are not attracted by the attractions that Nashua, Manchester and Concord offer. They are attracted to New Hampshire by the access to

outdoor activities offered by open land, open access and the state’s natural beauty/environment.

The veto of these bi-partisan bills is mis-guided. Sixty percent of the timber harvested in New Hampshire is “low grade,” destined as feed stock for paper mills and bio-generation plants. The veto has forced closure of several and curtailment of the balance. Without the bio-gen market for chips there is no ability for landowners to manage woodlands for stand improvement or wildlife habitat due to financial constraints. Sixty percent of the harvest will have no value forcing high-grading in the harvest. This is not sustainable forest management.

Historically, New Hampshire landowners have opened their land to hikers and snowmobilers. With the economics of timberland ownership changed to the negative, landowners will become less inclined to subsidize these activities by allowing access and thus incurring those oversight costs.

Without a way to sustainably manage woodlots, owners will be encouraged to sell off small parcels to create value/pay taxes. This fragmentation is negative for wildlife, timber management, water resource management, the industry/economy and open access to large uninterrupted tracts of forested land by the public.

Thanks again to Sen. Avard. Please let your representatives know by the override vote on Sept. 13 that we need these bills to protect what New Hampshire represents to many.