2010 Lake-related Legislation Priorities and Policy Initiatives

1.  Legislation restricting the sale of phosphorus lawn fertilizer:  support

• NH LAKES will be initiating legislation during the 2010 session to limit the amount of phosphorous contained in lawn fertilizers sold in New Hampshire.
• This is a significant step toward limiting a major source of pollution to our lakes and will close an existing regulatory need that has plagued lake protectionists for years.
• Phosphorus can have harmful effects on water quality and, as a result, human health can be at risk.
• Phosphorus encourages overabundant aquatic plant growth, including invasive exotic species like variable milfoil, and contributes to toxic cyanobacteria blooms. Excessive aquatic plant growth depletes oxygen levels in lakes when the plants decay and accelerates the natural phenomenon of “lake aging,” causing the premature “death” of waterbodies.

2.  New commission to study septic system pollution:  support

• Currently, out-dated and undersized septic systems present a unique challenge to protecting and improving the health of New Hampshire’s lakes—they often leach pollutants, including phosphorus and bacteria, into surface waters.
• Unfortunately, many lakes with dense shoreline development have small lots that no longer meet the state requirements to install a new septic system.
• By establishing a commission to study septic systems in New Hampshire, NH LAKES hopes that many of our management questions and water quality problems associated with septic systems can be answered.

3.  Establish more funding for exotic species prevention:  support

• Last legislative session, NH LAKES worked with lawmakers to pass an additional $1 for every boat registered in New Hampshire to go toward prevention programs funded through the Department of Environmental Services’ Milfoil and other Exotics Research and Prevention Granting Program.
• However, the current language in the statute does not recognize the added funding.
• NH LAKES proposes to change the language to provide for the cost associated with the administration of the granting program, and revise the language to include that a minimum of three-quarters of the collected funds go toward prevention grants, recognizing that a total of $4 for every boat registration now goes toward prevention (instead of $3 that went toward prevention before the legislation was passed last session).

4.  NH LAKES to work with the Center for Nonprofits to pass legislation to allow purchasing alliances for lower insurance rates:  support

• As many of us know, insurance coverage rates are increasing on an average of approximately 25 percent annually.
• NH LAKES will initiate a bill that will allow nonprofit organizations to form a purchasing alliance for health insurance and liability (director and officer) insurance.
• This would essentially create a ‘purchasing pool’ to provide participating organizations more affordable insurance premiums. Currently, only the Auto Dealers Association in New Hampshire is allowed to form such a purchasing alliance for insurance purposes.

During the upcoming legislative session, NH LAKES will need your support in passing these important bills.  

If you have questions about these bills and other policy issues, please contact Jared Teutsch at jteutsch@nhlakes.org or (603) 226-0299.

For the most current updates, please refer to the Legislative Weekly, posted here.