Hello PLA Community,

The board has received the below message from one of our partners NH Lakes.  It is a pretty self explanatory message and we felt we needed to share this with you all.  We as a board support what NH Lakes has spelled out below and we encourage all of you to take action as well.  Specifically show your support of these bills.  One of them was today, so we missed that one.

Regards,
The PLA

Advocacy Alert 
Working together for the lakes we all love.
Janaury 6, 2024

The 2024 New Hampshire Legislative Session has started off very quickly for our lakes, and they already need your help! Three of our priority lake-related bills will be heard in the House of Representatives early next week. These bills deal with fertilizer use around our lakes, wakesurfing on our lakes, and funding for exotic aquatic weeds and species prevention and management, and other critical programs.  Below are simple steps you can take to let our legislators know how critical it is they support these bills. They are waiting to hear from you! Please sign in online in support of these bills, share your letters of support with me, and let me know if you plan to testify in person so we can coordinate. And please share this email with your lake community and others. By making our voices heard, we will help ensure New Hampshire becomes a place where all our lakes are clean and healthy, and caring for them is a way of living, doing business, and governing.Working together to protect the lakes we all love, Andrea LaMoreaux, President & Policy Advocate alamoreaux@nhlakes.org P.S. Take action TODAY! Sign-in numbers and personal stories matter and make a difference.THESE THREE BILLS NEED YOUR URGENT SUPPORT! HB 1301, relative to wakesurfing on public bodies of water This bill allows a group of 25 or more residents or property owners of a town in which a lake, pond, or river is located to petition the New Hampshire Department of Safety to prohibit or restrict wake surfing on the lake, pond, or river, or a portion of the waterbody. Based on a public hearing, the Department would decide whether to issue any restrictions. NH LAKES supports this bill as it is consistent with the petition process that is already in place to regulate other activities on our waterbodies in areas where there are particular safety, navigational, or ecological considerations. Wakeboats supporting the activity of wakesurfing produce wakes that are significantly larger than most conventional boats. When wakesurfing is conducted in relatively shallow areas and close to shore, these larger wakes lead to increased shoreline erosion and disturbance of lake bottom sediments, degrading lake health and potentially contributing to cyanobacteria blooms. These enhanced wakes can also disturb critical fish and bird nesting habitats. HB 1301 Hearing Information: Date: Wednesday, January 10, 2024Time: 10:00 a.m. Committee: House Resources, Recreation and Development Location: Room 305, Legislative Office Building, Concord, New Hampshire HB 1293, relative to prohibiting the use of certain fertilizers using phosphorus This bill establishes that fertilizer containing the nutrient phosphorus can only be purchased at retail stores in New Hampshire for establishing new lawns, for repairing a lawn, for seeding, or for use when a soil test indicates a phosphorus deficiency. It requires, in some cases, that retailers post signage that states: “Phosphorus runoff poses a threat to water. Most New Hampshire soils provide all the phosphorus that a home lawn needs. Under New Hampshire law, fertilizers shall not be applied to a lawn unless applied to a new lawn or lawn that is deficient for phosphorus, as indicated by a soil test. State law prohibits the use of fertilizer containing phosphorus within 25 feet of any and all water surfaces and storm drains.” NH LAKES supports this bill as phosphorus runoff into our lakes and rivers degrades water quality and can contribute to cyanobacteria blooms.  HB 1293 Hearing Information: Date: Monday, January 8, 2024 Time: 10:00 a.m. Committee: House Environment and Agriculture Location: Rooms 301 – 303, Legislative Office Building, Concord, New Hampshire HB 1304, relative to vessel registration and boat fee decals This bill modifies the procedure for the registration of vessels by requiring the issuance and display of a boat fee decal for the payment of boat fees in addition to the issuance and display of a boat registration decal. This will result in New Hampshire complying with federal law. It will protect the New Hampshire Marine Patrol from losing critical federal funding and provide a way for the state to legally collect fees for other critical programs, including invasive species control and prevention programs for our lakes.  HB 1304 Hearing Information: Date: Tuesday, January 9, 2024 Time: 1:00 p.m. Committee: House Transportation Location: Room 203, Legislative Office Building, Concord, New Hampshire THREE WAYS TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR THESE BILLS! 1. Register Your Support Online!  – Go to the NH General Court: https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us – Scroll to Meeting Resources, House Sign-in Form, and Online Testimony submission: https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/committees/remotetestimony/ – Fill in your personal information. – Refer to the hearing information listed above to enter the date, committee, bill number, and time of the hearing. – Indicate your support of the bill.  – You will have the option to upload a letter of support or paste in a statement of support. A few sentences about why you support the bill can make a big impact.  – Review and submit.  2. Attend the Hearing and Register Your Support! You don’t have to speak at the public hearing, but our lakes must have a large crowd standing up to support these bills. There is a sign-up sheet in the hearing room where you can register your support. 3. Attend the Hearing and Share Your Personal Story in Support! A one to two-minute personal story from you at the hearing about why you support a bill can leave a lasting impression on committee members. Call or email me if you plan to testify so we can coordinate our talking points. And I’d happily tell you what to expect at the hearing.  ADVOCATING AT THE STATE HOUSE Who’s My Legislator? Meeting & Hearing Schedule: NH House  NH Senate Find a Bill Tips on How to Advocate The lakes we all love can’t take care of themselves. They need you to do your part. You can invest in clean and healthy lakes by making a charitable donation today.