North Hampton Conservation Commission on the Land Conservation Assistance Network

North Hampton Conservation Commission
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last updated: September 2020

North Hampton Conservation Commission Functions

The Conservation Commission is comprised of seven volunteer residents appointed by the Board of Selectmen and serving in an advisory capacity on matters relating to land and wetlands preservation. Commissioners serve staggered three-year terms. The Commission has four primary functions:

Reviews proposed new construction of structures and excavation on lands within wetlands setbacks or in wetlands and makes recommendations for approval or rejection of such construction. The Planning Board and/or the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) normally refer such construction activities to the Commission. When a contiguous wetland boundary is in question, the Commission will normally request that the applicant obtain wetlands boundary designation by a registered professional hydrologist/soils scientist. The Commission refers major wetlands impacts (over 3,000 square feet) to the NH Dept. of Environmental Services (DES) Wetlands Bureau and intervenes in the applications approval process.
Administers and makes recommendations on agreements for conservation easements, land gifted to the Town, or land purchases for protection. Many of these activities are presently conducted by its sub-committee, North Hampton Forever.
Provides stewardship of all designated conservation parcels in Town by keeping an ongoing inventory of sites and monitoring them. The Town has over 50 designated conservation parcels and over 3,300 acres of wetlands protected by statute.
Monitors construction, clearing and excavation activities in Town and recommends enforcement actions for violations of wetlands protection regulations.

The Commission meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00PM in the Mary Herbert Room. Agendas of each meeting are posted at least 3 days before each meeting.
Minutes are kept in the revolving bookshelf in the Town library reading room.

Funding for normal Commission business is budgeted annually and the Commission maintains a Capital Reserve Fund for purchasing easements and parcels which is funded by assessments of change in Current Use taxes when land is withdrawn from current use status. With Board of Selectmen approval, the Commission may apply for and accept private donations and foundation or government grants for specific designated conservation projects.

The Commission is a member of the New Hampshire Association of Conservation Commissions (NHACC) and regularly supports a conservation student internship sponsored by the New Hampshire Society for the Protection of Lands and Forests.

Meeting Minutes and references are kept in the revolving bookshelf in the Town library reading room.

REMINDER: This listing is a free service of LandCAN.
North Hampton Conservation Commission is not employed by or affiliated with the Land Conservation Assistance Network, and the Network does not certify or guarantee their services. The reader must perform their own due diligence and use their own judgment in the selection of any professional.