Oppose HB 1603

A Harmful Bill for

NH's Threatened & Endangered Species

such as this Blanding's Turtle

Dear Friends of Wildlife,

As we mentioned before, in a previous action alert, this harmful bill passed out of a House committee by a narrow 8–7 vote. Not surprisingly, it was then approved by the full House. The House typically follows the committee’s recommendation, although we did make an effort to defeat it on the floor and thanks to everyone who joined in the fight.

The bill is now before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, where it will go through the same process: a public hearing followed by a committee vote, and then consideration by the full Senate.

We are hoping to stop it in the Senate committee. Will you please help us do that?

Do This Now: Action Alert

Vote Remotely

You can vote at this time in the Senate.

Remote sign-in

https://gc.nh.gov/remotecommittee/senate.aspx

• Select the date March 10.
• Choose the Committee: Energy and Natural Resources.
• Select the bill: HB 1603. You are a Member of the public representing yourself, usually.
• Indicate that you are OPPOSED.
• Fill in your name and town.
• Complete the final review and submit.
• At the end, you will be given a link to email the committee members (this is different from the House process as your email testimony or comments will go directly to the committee members).

You can also go to this page and scroll to the Energy and Natural Resources Committee to Email All of the Committee and to learn who is on the Committee. If you are a constituent of one of the Senators it is especially important that they hear from you. https://gc.nh.gov/senate/committees/senate_committees.aspx

Attend the Hearing

Try to attend the hearing to show that many of us in New Hampshire truly care about protecting our threatened and endangered species. The hearing is in the State House in room 103 at 9:10 AM. Sign-in as OPPOSED and fill out a pink card if you wish to speak.

Amended HB 1603

This is an amended version of the original bill that passed. Because the amendment was adopted after the original bill was heard, the public was not given an opportunity to speak on the amended version. This happens often when bills are amended.

To see the original and amended version, use this link https://gc.nh.gov/bill_Status/billinfo.aspx?id=2404&inflect=2

At this link below is what Dan Bergeron, Chief of the Wildlife Division at NH Fish and Game, said about the amended version during the Executive Session when the amendment was discussed. It is at the beginning of the recording. Please be sure to listen to Bergeron’s comments to understand some of the reasons why it is still a bad bill. You will also hear the committee's concerns. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IP-H-AxWo4&t=536s

Reasons to Oppose HB 1603

When species decline or disappear, ecosystems become weaker and less able to withstand disease, invasive species, and climate pressures.
Habitat loss and fragmentation are major drivers of species decline, and once species are lost, they are extremely difficult or impossible to restore.
Threatened and endangered wildlife exist in small, vulnerable populations. Even limited habitat disruption can push them closer to extinction.
Protecting these species upholds New Hampshire's natural heritage and the public trust, ensuring that wildlife and natural resources are preserved for all residents now and in the future.

Minority Report from the House Calendar

Rep. Will Darby for the Minority of Resources, Recreation and Development. The bill as drafted would have prevented the state of New Hampshire from enforcing the federal endangered species act by invalidating the state’s database of endangered and protected species. As described in the fiscal note, this would have resulted in costs of millions of dollars per year, and increased delays to perform endangered species reviews. Potentially worse would be federal enforcement of the endangered species act if New Hampshire was found unable to perform these reviews as required by federal law. Many organizations, including the Forest Society, The Nature Conservancy, the Loon Preservation Committee, and New Hampshire Audubon opposed the bill due to the restrictions it would place on protecting the state’s most threatened wildlife species.

While the majority of the committee’s amendment removes the most concerning aspects of the original bill, it introduces new ambiguity and defers critical questions to future rule making. HB 2 transferred the environmental review responsibility from Fish and Game to the Department of Environmental Services; this transition is still underway, and both departments raised concerns about the timing of this bill and likely disruption such as increased environmental review delays.

Additionally, the Fish and Game Commission opposes the amendment on numerous grounds and offered alternative amendment language that was not discussed. As this amendment did not receive a public hearing, there is no updated fiscal note, and because until very recently Fish and Game has performed this role, the minority of the committee recommends the bill be referred for interim study to consult with all stakeholders.

Update on the Commission’s Change of Opinion

Another important update is that the NH Fish and Game Commission changed its position from opposing to supporting the bill at the February Commission meeting, following testimony against the bill by Mike Marchand of the Nongame and Endangered Species Program at FG and comments opposing the amendment by Dan Bergeron. The following letter to the editor, published in the Concord Monitor, explains the reasons for the change.

Fish and Game Commissioners fail wildlife species

Hunters and the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department often call themselves conservationists. While they manage game species effectively, their commitment to nongame and endangered species is far weaker.

A clear example is House Bill 1603-FN. Initially opposed by commissioners, they reversed their stance and supported this bill that weakens protections for threatened and endangered wildlife. This legislation allows wealthy landowners to develop land more easily, with little regard for vulnerable species.

The commissioners admitted they faced pressure from landowners who reportedly threatened to restrict hunting access. They should have looked at the big picture. If the land is developed, it won’t have hunting access either.

Commissioners are entrusted with protecting all of New Hampshire’s wildlife, not adjusting positions to favor a small group of influential property owners. This reversal undermines public trust and raises questions about whose interests are being prioritized: wealthy landowners or state wildlife.

Wildlife advocates and conservation nonprofits across the state oppose HB 1603-FN. NH Turtle Rescue, a leading organization dedicated to saving New Hampshire's turtles, documents this opposition on its website. Four of the state's seven native turtle species are threatened or endangered. These turtles depend on intact wetlands, upland nesting areas, and connected habitat corridors. As development fragments the landscape, strong protections are essential.

If this bill reaches the Senate, citizens must speak out to stop it. The passage would allow developers to destroy critical habitat, putting turtles and other vulnerable species at serious risk and further eroding New Hampshire's wildlife conservation.

Thank you for being a voice for wildlife!

We all appreciate everything you do to help.

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P.O. Box 5862, Manchester, NH 03108, USA