A Public Invitation from Rockingham Planning Commission

Hello Friends and Colleagues,

[You are invited to] a public participation event hosted by NH Listens as part of Rockingham Planning Commission's Granite State Future project. The Granite State Future project is an initiative led by the nine regional planning commissions in NH to simultaneously update their regional master plans.

This is an opportunity for residents of RPC's planning region to voice their concerns, opinions and vision for the future of southeastern New Hampshire - what works, what could be better, what our future will look like. Your input will be incorporated as we prepare our new regional master plan. RPC will also hold an Open House event and other public participation events starting in June and through fall of this year.

The NH Listens event will be held from 7:00-9:00pm (check-in from 6:30-7:00pm) on Tuesday, May 14th at the Sanborn Regional High School, 17 Danville Road, Kingston, NH. Registration is encouraged - see the registration link in below.

Please forward this announcement to friends and others who live in southeastern NH communities. And if you choose attend - bring a friend a or two! We hope to see you there.

Thank you,
Julie LaBranche

Senior Planner
Rockingham Planning Commission
156 Water Street
Exeter, NH 03833
Phone: (603) 778-0885
Fax: (603) 778-9183

Happy Earth Day!

A picture of wood frog egg masses for you!

Note the bubble-like appearance they have at the water's surface.  Thanks to member, Laura B., for taking the time to search for vernal pools on local conservation land, and for forwarding the photo!

On a less than thrilling note, Laura also captured this shot of filamentous algae growing in the Winnicut River just downstream of the newly installed fishpass at Rte 33.  The Winnicut did have higher than acceptable Phosphorus levels last summer....  Not good.

Upcoming 'MS4 Permit' Q&A Meetings

EPA will be holding four informal public meetings on the NH Draft Small MS4 (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems) Permit prior to the Public Hearing on March 14, 2013.  Newton Tedder, EPA, will present the draft permit followed by Q & A. The dates, times and locations for two of these scheduled public meetings are:

Thursday, February 28, 1:00 to 2:30 pm. Dover McConnell Center, Room 306, 61 Locust Street, Dover. The McConnell Center is located next to the Dover Library and across the street from Dover City Hall. There is a large parking lot behind the library.

Thursday, March 7th, 1:00 - 3:00 pm. Exeter Town Hall, 9 Front Street, Exeter, NH.
This is the "Old" Town Hall across the street from the Town Offices.
Designed especially for new NH Small MS4 municipalities and the public, this presentation will include the background of the NH MS4 permits and permit requirements for NH municipalities new to this permit process.

Please contact Barbara McMillan, NH DES, to register that you will be attending:
barbara.mcmillan@des.nh.gov or 603-271-7889

For more information on the permit, visit the EPA website at: http://www.epa.gov/region1/npdes/stormwater/MS4_2013_NH.html.

Grant Wrap-up and Water Quality Meters

The Winnicut River Watershed Coalition, an initiative of the New Hampshire Rivers Council, has completed a 2-year grant project funded under the Coastal Zone Management Act by NOAA’s Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management in conjunction with the New Hampshire Coastal Program.

In addition to a 2-year sampling regime that included chemical, biological and nutrient testing at 11 locations throughout the watershed, and more than 450 hours of outreach, education, and volunteer involvement, the WRWC--comprised of individuals from within the three towns of North Hampton, Stratham and Greenland--purchased its own set of high quality water testing meters in December.  Testing may now be conducted for turbidity, pH, temperature, conductivity (electrical current) and dissolved oxygen wherever and whenever!

If you are curious about your neighborhood's impact on our local waters...if would like to see attention paid to a special brook, stream, river, pond or other wetland area, or you're simply interested in learning more, contact Jean Eno, the Winnicut Project Director for the New Hampshire Rivers Council.  Volunteers are always welcomed, from Junior High students and up!

Generous additional support provided by:

The NH Charitable Foundation - Piscataqua Region

 

And by:

The Alvin T. Fuller Foundation

Many thanks to the wonderful volunteers who helped make things happen!

Save the Date! OysterPALOOZA 9/23/12

The WRWC will host another children's craft during this event, come check it all out!

Summer on the Winnicut

This entry has been moved to the 'Guest Submissions' tab at the top of the page.

Invasive Plant 'Pull' on Weeks Conservation Land

The WRWC coordinated an invasive plant pull for the Weeks Brick House & Gardens (WBHG) on July 21st, made entirely possible by the volunteerism of Boy Scout Troop 158 and WBGH member Steve Pike. 

With 30+ acres of land conserved for public enjoyment, every individual pull leads towards a healthier and more diverse "little piece of heaven in Greenland."  Interested in contributing to this effort?  Join the WBHG for the next 'pull' on September 8th at 9AM by contacting the WRWC at winnicut@gmail.com

The Crew:  Many thanks to this hardworking crew!  From left to right: Joseph Riggle, Adrian Whitford, Rick Mauer, Andrew Fogarty, Will Mauer, Chris Riggle, Brian Fogarty, Debbie Fogarty, and Steve Pike.  Photos by WBHG member Amanda Nelson.

The Tool: 'Weed Wrenches' are on loan through the Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve for any and all to use, whether neighborhood association, non-profit, Conservation Commission, or individual!

Adrian and Andrew about to rip out some invasive glossy buckthorn!

The arrow is pointing to a stem of buckthorn clamped bewteen the wrench's teeth.  A little body weight on the lever, and out come the roots! 

Scouts Joseph, Will, Adrian and Andrew clearing invasive glossy buckthorn from conservation land.  

  

Chris Riggle joins in...

Nothing wrong with a little additional human effort!!

Steve Pike in camouflage....

Now that's a root ball!

Thanks everyone -- your help made a difference!