New Hampshire Grants $1 Million To Protect Water Supply Lands
The state of New Hampshire is making $1 million available for grants to municipalities or nonprofit water suppliers to help purchase land or conservation easements around critical water supplies.
The funding comes from the state Department of Environmental Services Water Supply Land Grant Program established by the legislature in 2000. Governor John Lynch and the Legislature provided the $1 million in grant funding for the current 2005-2006 fiscal year.
The program provides municipalities with up to 25 percent of the value of the critical water supply lands being protected.
The land must be from a willing seller, currently unprotected, and it must be within a designated source water protection area serving a community water system or school.
The land could be within a wellhead protection area, or for surface sources, in the watershed within five miles of the intake.
The state grants must be matched by 75 percent from local sources. These match sources can include donated land or easements that are also within the source water protection area, public funds, federal funds, transaction expenses, or private funds.
Also, there is a low interest loan fund available from the Department of Environmental Services that may be used to finance the match.
In order to qualify for this grant round, interested applicants must submit an eligibility application by November 1, 2005.
Provided by the Environmental News Service.
