Pilot Conservation Commission Circuit Rider Program

The purpose of this pilot project was to increase the effectiveness of the three Conservation Commissions in the Exeter River watershed. The Towns of Kensington, Kingston, and Sandown were selected based on their interest in the program and their need for professional planning assistance. Rockingham Planning Commission staff attended monthly meetings of each Conservation Commission to discuss and implement short-term and long-term projects. The three Conservation Commissions selected two natural resource protection projects to work on with RPC assistance. The scope of these projects ranged from very basic, such as establishing a process for record keeping in Kingston, to more advanced, such as indepth discussions on protecting wildlife habitat in Kensington and development of several land use regulations in Sandown. With just several hours of professional assistance each month, each Commission was able to complete projects that will increase their community’s ability to protect natural resources

Limiting Impervious Surface Cover and Protecting Water Resources through Better Site Design and Planning

The Rockingham Planning Commission (RPC) provided two forms of technical assistance to coastal communities to raise awareness and understanding of how to limit impervious surface cover, mitigate impacts of development, and protect water resources. The first phase of this project involved the organization of a workshop entitled “Improving Site Planning and Site Design for Sustainable Development”, held October 4, 2004 in Durham, New Hampshire. The workshop was offered to local decision makers and municipal employees in the forty two coastal communities and featured speakers from state agencies, local government, and the private sector.For the second phase of this project, the RPC worked with Planning Boards in three coastal communities in New Hampshire - North Hampton, Greenland, and East Kingston, to review existing land use regulations and development review procedures. RPC staff used information from the Center for Watershed Protection to complete these reviews. Reports were prepared for the three communities which include recommendations for changes to local land use regulations to limit impervious surface and protect water resources

Final Report-RPC Buffer Project

Met with the Planning Boards and Conservation Commission in the Town of Kensington, Brentwood, Hampton Falls, and Fremont to review the NHEP shoreland buffer maps: Reviewed existing land use regulations in each of these communities relative to protection of shoreland buffers; Reviewed land use regulations proposed in the Land Conservation Plan for NH’s Coastal Watersheds; Discussed local concerns about protecting buffers; Provided draft local land use regulations to increase protection of shoreland buffers

Implementation of the Dearborn Brook Watershed Management and Protection Plan

Dearborn Brook is a small but important stream located in Stratham and Exeter, New Hampshire. The Brook flows into the Town of Exeter Reservoir and is used to supply drinking water to the Town of Exeter and portions of Stratham. The Dearborn Brook Watershed Committee was established in 2001 to develop a management and protection plan for the Brook. Committee members represent the Conservation Commissions, Open Space Committees, Planning Departments, Water and Sewer Commissions, and Department of Public Works in the Towns of Exeter and Stratham. The purpose of this project was to begin implementing the top three recommendations made in the Dearborn Brook Watershed Management and Protection Plan: protecting undeveloped land, reviewing land use regulations, and developing public education and outreach campaign