RSA 12-A:9-b · Connecticut Lakes Headwaters Citizens Committee

12-A:9-b Connecticut Lakes Headwaters Citizens Committee. –

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I.

There is established the Connecticut Lakes headwaters citizens committee. Committee membership shall be as follows and shall include a minimum of 7 members who are residents of any community in the Great North Woods region association, as established by the state in February 1998:

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(a)

Two residents of the town of Pittsburg, appointed by the selectmen.

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(b)

One resident of the town of Clarksville, appointed by the selectmen.

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(c)

One resident of the town of Stewartstown, appointed by the selectmen.

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(d)

One person who shall have expertise in forestry and timber harvesting, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.

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(e)

One person who shall have expertise in monitoring conservation easements, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.

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(f)

One person who shall have expertise in outdoor recreation and tourism, appointed by the president of the senate.

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(g)

One person who shall have expertise in forest ecology and management of natural areas, appointed by the president of the senate.

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(h)

Two persons appointed by the governor with the consent of the council.

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(i)

A Coos county commissioner, or designee.

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(j)

The commissioner of the department of natural and cultural resources, or designee.

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(k)

The executive director of the fish and game department, or designee.

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(l)

A representative of the largest private landowner within the borders of the Connecticut Lakes headwaters tract, appointed by the landowner, who shall serve as an ex-officio, non-voting member.

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(m)

The commissioner of the department of environmental services, or designee.

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(n)

One leaseholder in any community in the Great North Woods region association, appointed by leaseholders. Leaseholders shall meet to choose the member, who shall be a resident of the state of New Hampshire.

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II.

Each member shall serve a 3-year term. Vacancies shall be filled for the unexpired term of office in the same manner as the original appointment. Members may serve successive terms.

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III.

The members shall elect a chairperson from among the public members. Preference shall be given to a resident of the Great North Woods region if a member from that area is willing to serve as chairman, otherwise another public member shall be elected.

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IV.

The committee shall meet at least annually and at such other times as the chairperson deems necessary. At least once annually, the committee shall meet to review the management plan of the state-owned properties as prepared by the managing state agencies. The committee's meetings shall be open to the public, in accordance with RSA 91-A. Interested members of the public shall be allowed to speak before the committee or to submit statements. Records, reports, and working papers generated or used by the committee, or both, shall be made available to the public for inspection or copying. The committee shall not be responsible to the public for the costs of copying its documents.

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V.

The duties of the committee shall include and be limited to:

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(a)

Providing advice to the monitoring entity for monitoring compliance with the terms and conditions of the working forest conservation easement covering approximately 146,400 acres of the Connecticut Lakes headwaters tract.

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(b)

Providing advice to the department of natural and cultural resources and the fish and game department on the management of public recreational use of the Connecticut Lakes headwaters tract, including the siting and approval of the first 10 new leases, the seasonal use of the road system, snowmobile trails and their use, and the terms for access and use of the tract by motorized vehicles. Such advice shall be offered in cooperation with the private landowner.

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(c)

Providing advice on the management of state park and natural areas within the tract owned in fee by the state.

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(d)

Providing advice to the department of natural and cultural resources and the fish and game department on any proposed revision to the stewardship or management plans required by the conservation easements on the 146,400 acres or the natural areas and, should amendments to these easements ever be contemplated, on the proposed amendments.

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(e)

Exercising authority to decide if 15 leases in addition to those in subparagraph (b) should be allowed and where such leases should be located, if the private owner or any future private owner requests this action.

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(f)

Exercising authority to decide if the private buyer, or any future private owner, should be allowed to exercise its rights under the conservation easement for commercial recreational activities for which the private owner may charge fees.

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(g)

Exercising authority to decide if the state can build structures for visitor support facilities as described in the conservation easement for the 146,400 acres.

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(h)

Providing advice to the department of environmental services on the management of Lake Francis and approximately 2,676 upland acres of state-owned land known as the Lake Francis impoundment property, including the lease program for the property established under RSA 481:3-a and administered by the department of environmental services.

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VI.

The commissioner of the department of natural and cultural resources shall designate a state employee from the department as the administrative officer of the committee. The administrative officer shall attend each meeting of the committee and provide recordkeeping and related administrative and clerical assistance to the committee.

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VII.

The terms and provisions of the conservation easements shall at all times provide the legal basis for the committee's advice and authority, and any legal opinion of the easement's terms shall be rendered by the attorney general. Source. 2002, 148:3. 2009, 112:2, 3. 2011, 5:1, eff. April 25, 2011. 2017, 156:14, I, eff. July 1, 2017.

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