The Department of Environmental Services did something it hasn’t done in more than 25 years by making massive updates and alterations to the rules and regulations governing New Hampshire wetlands.
Some of the most notable updates have been made to the quality standards of surface water and shorelines. These are statutory updates involving modernized and scientific advancements to accommodate the operations taking place in these lands. The updates include the following:
- Some of the terminologies in the statutes have more official definitions now.
- Fee increases
- New permit requirements for specific types of projects
These new updates aim to reduce and prevent environmental impacts wherever possible.
New Helpful Tools
The Department of Environmental Services has introduced a set of new tools to make project classification much easier. These tools are:
A project won’t need a wetlands permit if it qualifies for a statutory exemption or doesn’t impact any land within the jurisdictional area. But if a project does impact wetlands within a jurisdictional area or doesn’t qualify for a statutory exemption, the project is classified based on the impact size and resource to be impacted.
The tools will help determine the classification of the project.
Conclusion
Most projects don’t have as much scrutiny because you can easily submit a Permit by Notification application. However, you must complete the Permit By Notification application without leaving anything blank. Failure to complete all the fields of the application will result in it getting denied. Applications are no longer held for supplementation like they were in the past.
There are new timelines for submitting the Permit By Notification applications because the Department of Environmental Services wants to reduce the response time and speed up the starting process of these projects.
As a result, the Department of Environmental Services hopes the new rules and updates will fast-track the permit approval process while protecting the New Hampshire wetlands. That way, the environment’s natural resources stay protected without reducing economic activity in the state. It is a win-win situation for the public and the environment.
You can contact Alfano Law Office at (603) 856-8411 or at this link.