Letter to the Editor: Is it too inconvenient to protect NH wildlife?

Published in the Union Leader
May 4, 2021

Senate Bill 129 will sell out threatened and endangered wild animals in New Hampshire to wealthy developers if it passes. It will be disastrous for the survival of these species.

The House Fish and Game and Marine Resources Committee heard SB 129 on April 28. The sign-in sheets show that 147 people opposed the bill, and only 13 supported it. The citizens of New Hampshire do not want this bill. The legislators voted 10-8 to pass the bill regardless of the strong opposition.

This bill came about because of a backlog in the Fish and Game Department’s review of development applications, mainly caused by a lack of staff at Fish and Game.

After a state Supreme Court decision against the N.H. Department of Environmental Services for harming our endangered animal species, DES decided they would try to change the law. Along with developers and their highly-paid lobbyists, they are urging our lawmakers to weaken the law itself — the 1979 NH Endangered Species Conservation Act. As everyone knows, loss of habitat to development is a problem wildlife faces, and SB 129 will worsen that situation.

Hunters and hikers, Republicans and Democrats, let’s stop harmful development to our great outdoors! Protecting wildlife habitat is a non-partisan issue. It benefits everyone. With your help contacting legislators, we can stop SB 129.

There will be a vote soon by all 400 House representatives. Go to http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us, find emails and phone numbers of your representatives, and ask them to oppose SB 129.

LINDA DIONNE
Raymond