The New Hampshire Estuaries Project supports projects through competitive
RFPs, local grants, and other funding mechanisms. The following list
highlights examples of past projects supported by the NHEP.
The NHEP's 2007 Local Grants Program Recipients
* The Town of Brentwood will complete a Prime Wetlands Designation project that will inventory, evaluate, and prioritize the town’s wetlands.
* The Town of Nottingham will purchase water quality monitoring equipment and use it to monitor at least four stations for the New Hampshire Volunteer River Assessment Program.
* The Southeast Land Trust of New Hampshire will collaborate with the Lamprey River Advisory Committee and the Town of Brentwood to contact landowners, initiate and complete acquisition of conservation easements, and apply for conservation grants.
* Dr. Larry Harris and his graduate students will conduct a three-part marine invasive species project. They will examine the effects of salinity on seven invasive species; continue seasonal monitoring study of exotic species in Great Bay; and examine the effects of eight predators on invasive species.
* Moose Mountains Regional Greenways will conduct five workshops with land use board members to help interpret The Land Conservation Plan for New Hampshire’s Coastal Watersheds and develop/enhance local conservation plans. Other outreach activities include field trips, presentations at seven annual Lakes Association meetings, and production of six conservation education displays.
* The City of Rochester will conduct a natural resources inventory and use this data to create the first natural resources chapter of the City’s master plan.
The NHEP's 2006 Local Grants Program Recipients
* Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission conducted a buffer outreach program to specifically implement land use regulations that protect the remaining undisturbed natural shoreland buffers along the Lamprey and North Branch Rivers (second order and higher) and other surface waters in the towns of Candia and Deerfield.
* Town of Newfields conducted a Prime Wetlands Designation with the assistance of West Environmental that inventoried, evaluated, and prioritized the town’s wetlands.
* Dr. Larry Harris at the University of New Hampshire monitored the seasonal and long-term impact of invasive species in Great Bay. The study involved the creation of a report that synthesizes the existing information on invasives of Great Bay and identifies species that are likely future threats. Lab technicians monitored for invasive species at four sites in Great Bay with SCUBA. The sites were examined for predators of invasive species. Finally, an invasive monitoring study conducted by Dr. Harris in the early 1980s at UNH Coastal Marine Lab was repeated, thus providing insight on invasive species dominance and diversity patterns over time.
* Town of Seabrook worked with a consultant to create a restoration plan for the Cains Pond impoundment along Route 1. The Plan included an inventory of existing conditions, a variety of management options, and recommendations for management.
* Exeter River Local Advisory Committee promoted the 6th Annual Exeter River Festival with promotional materials, such as posters, banners, announcements on Community Access Television and/or newspaper advertisements.
The NHEP's 2005 Local Grants Program Recipients
* The City of Portsmouth conducted a feasibility study on the use of treated wastewater from the Pease wastewater treatment plant to irrigate the Pease golf course.
* The Exeter River Local Advisory Committee promoted the 5th Annual Alewife Festival by printing posters, brochures, palm cards, and banners and purchasing twelve newspaper advertisements.
* The University of New Hampshire’s Great Bay Coast Watch supported the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Shellfish Program by transporting mussel tissue samples from Star Island to Concord and from Portsmouth to Concord.
* The Gundalow Company conducted environmental education in Exeter and Dover. The grant payed for planning, towing of the gundalow and printing of 10,000 brochures.
* The Seacoast Land Trust developed “The Great Bog Management and Restoration Plan” which included evaluation of the hydrologic environment, wildlife habitats, and public involvement with protection efforts and guidance for management of wetland and upland invasive species, upland protection priorities, wetland and associated upland restoration, public recreation, and cultural involvement. The study area included a 193-acre conserved parcel, 100 acres of abutting land owned by the City of Portsmouth, and several large parcels held by private landowners that immediately abut The Great Bog.
* The University of New Hampshire developed and monitor revegetation methods at Awcomin Marsh with the field assistance of local high school students. The students evaluated work conducted in 2005 as well as evaluate progress of a restoration site established in 2002.
Additional projects supported by the NHEP
* The NHEP contributed to the NH Department of Transportation's Taylor River Dam Removal/Restoration Feasibility Study which will be a comprehensive study of all options (from dam removal to restoration) and their impacts on water quality, fish passage, hydrology, property values, and other parameters.
* The Nature Conservancy conducted two NHEP-funded projects in 2005: A Restoration Compendium and a Coastal Watershed Land Protection Plan.
* The University of New Hampshire developed an environmental indicator for invasive species based on larval monitoring.
* The Center for Land Conservation Association, part of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, continued to offer Land Protection Transaction Grants.
* The Natural Resources Outreach and Education Coalition worked with New Durham, Wakefield, and Deerfield in 2005.
* Hampton and Hampton Falls Conservation Commissions conducted town-wide wetlands evaluations in support of obtaining prime wetlands designations.
* The NH Department of Environmental Services offered community grants for stormwater infrastructure mapping and illicit connection detection and removal.
* The GulfWatch program in 2005 monitored mussel, oyster, and clam tissues for toxic contaminants.
* The Complex Systems Research Center at the University of New Hampshire conducted a buffer characterization study.
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The NHEP's Local Grants Program 2004 Recipients
* The UNH Center for Integrative Regional Problem Solving is establishing an online searchable database of research documents, projects and organizations related to Smart Growth.
* The Center for Land Conservation Assistance is providing support and
training in various elements of land protection to land trusts, county
conservation districts, conservation commissions, open space committees,
municipalities land use attorneys and real estate professionals.
* The Exeter River Local Advisory Committee is advertising for the 4th Annual Alewife
Festival on June 5, 2004.
* Great Bay Coast Watch is supporting the DES shellfish program by
collecting and transporting tissue samples. The group is also
conducting two seminars designed to increase public knowledge about important water quality issues in the Seacoast.
* The Gundalow Company is incorporating water quality information and water sampling demonstrations into
the 2004 Gundalow curriculum.
* Moose Mountain Regional Greenways is implementing an outreach plan that educates landowners, community leaders, and the public about the importance of
preserving land, surface water, high value wetlands, buffers, aquifers, wildlife habitat and other critical natural resources.
* Portsmouth Middle School is implementing a 6th grade field research
project that focuses on the ecology of South Mill Pond.
* The Rockingham Land Trust is identifying three conservation easements in the Lamprey, Oyster and/or Squamscott River corridors.
* The Seacoast Land Trust is conducting an educational series (4 workshops
and 6 field trips) designed to build support for conservation in the Seacoast region.
Additional projects supported by the NHEP in 2004
* The Hampton Conservation Commission is working with Hampton Falls and the Rockingham County Conservation District to conduct an assessment and delineation of a freshwater
wetlands system adjacent to the Taylor River in an effort to designate it as Prime Wetlands
in 2005.
* The Rockingham Planning Commission is working with representatives of the Dearborn Brook Watershed Committee to implement recommendations from the Dearborn Brook Watershed Management and Protection Plan, including identification of key properties to protect and development of a watershed overlay district spanning sections of Stratham and Exeter.
* The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, Center for Land Conservation Assistance received a grant to continue providing conservation organizations and municipalities with funds to offset 50%
of the expenses associated with conservation land transactions.
* The Natural Resource Outreach Coalition is working with Chester, East
Kingston and Stratford to develop community based plans for resource identification and protection.
* The Nature Conservancy, on behalf of the Great Bay Resource Protection
Partnership, is conducting resource mapping and habitat assessments to
prioritize lands for protection.
* University of Maine at Machias determined the interactive effects of predator exclusion netting, mesh netting aperture size, and planting area on survival and growth of cultured and wild juveniles of the soft-shell clam, Mya arenaria L., in the Hampton-Seabrook Estuary.
* UNH Jackson Estuarine Laboratory staff conducted a study of reef structure alternatives for restoration of oyster populations in the Great Bay
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The NHEP's Local Grants Program 2003 Recipients
* Moose Mountain Regional Greenways provided technical expertise to
local conservation commissions and expanding outreach related to the
documentation and protection of prime wetlands.
* The Seacoast Land Trust conducted a GIS-based natural resource mapping
project in Greenland. Results were presented to municipal boards and
landowners during land conservation workshops.
* The Aquaculture Education & Research Center recruited and trained
coastal shoreline owners to grow juvenile shellfish from their docks.
* The Rockingham County Conservation District promoted land protection
within the Hampton- Seabrook Harbor watershed using GIS mapping and
conducting outreach activities on conservation opportunities and estate
planning.
* Great Bay Coast Watch is updated its Standard Operating
Procedures Volunteers Monitoring Manual and conducted training of its
volunteers to improve quality assurance procedures.
Additional projects supported by the NHEP in 2003
* The Center for Land Conservation Assistance at the Society for the
Protection of New Hampshire Forests administered the Coastal Watershed
Land Protection Transaction Fund that provides funding to municipalities and
conservation groups for transaction costs associated with land protection
projects.
* The NHEP staff is conducted research for NHDES on policy alternatives to
reduce impacts on tidal wetlands from construction site stormwater runoff.
* The NHDES Watershed Assistance Section identified illicit sewer
connections and administered grants to municipalities for illicit
connection removal and storm sewer system mapping.
* The NHDES Shellfish Program tracked and improved water quality through
fecal coliform sampling, wet weather event monitoring, shoreline surveys,
and pollution source identification.
* The Jackson Estuarine Laboratory is monitored nitrogen levels, shellfish
populations, and eelgrass beds in Great Bay.
* The Natural Resource Outreach Coalition is worked with Somersworth,
Candia, and Nottingham to develop community based plans for resource
identification and protection.
* Ducks Unlimited is restored salt marsh habitat at Pickering Brook, and
with volunteer assistance, monitoring pre- and post-restoration water
quality, fish habitat, and vegetation parameters.
* The UNH Complex Systems Research Center updated the conservation lands
data layer in GRANIT for the coastal watershed area.
* The Nature Conservancy, on behalf of the Great Bay Resource Protection
Partnership, conducted resource mapping and habitat assessments to
prioritize lands for protection.
To receive Estuaries Update, the monthly electronic newsletter of NHEP's program activities, reports and events, send an email entitled "Sign Up" to Dave Kellam.
