UPDATED! Request for Qualifications Issued by the Town of Sutton for Watershed-based Plan Development for a Healthy Kezar Lake

Posted on November 26, 2024 by Katie Zink

The Town of Sutton, in cooperation with the Kezar Lake Protective Association (KLPA), is requesting Statements of Qualifications from interested Civil Engineers and/or Environmental Consultants to develop a Watershed-based Management Plan (WBP) for Kezar Lake that meets the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) requirements for nine-element (a-i) watershed management plan.

Link to full Request for Qualifications

Questions regarding this RFQ can be submitted to Lynn Wittman, President of the KLPA, at kezarlakepanh@gmail.com by December 6, 2024.

Representatives from the Towns of Sutton, the KLPA, and the NHDES will review qualification packages. The contract will be between the Town of Sutton and the consultant.

Statement of Qualifications are required to be submitted electronically and in hard copy no later than December 17, 2024 at 2pm:

  • Electronic copies of your Statement of Qualification should be emailed in PDF format with “Kezar Lake RFQ” in the subject line to the following:

Julia Jones, Sutton Town Administrator: townadmin@sutton-nh.org

Glenn Pogust, Sutton Selectboard Member: gpogust@outlook.com

Lynn Wittman, KLPA President: kezarlakepanh@gmail.com

  • Please also submit three (3) hardcopies to the Office of the Town Administrator at Sutton Town Hall, 93 Main St, Sutton, NH 03221. Include “Attention: Glenn Pogust” and “Kezar Lake Watershed RFQ” on the outside of the package/ envelope.
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Take the New Hampshire Wildlife Action Plan Survey Today!

Posted on November 6, 2024 by Steve Landry

Dear NHDES Conservation Partners,

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department invites you to participate in a survey to gather input for the revision of the NH Wildlife Action Plan.  Click here to enter survey: https://tinyurl.com/NHWildlifeActionPlanSurvey.  Deadline is November 30th.

Every 10 years, since 2005, NH Fish and Game, in partnership with other state agencies and organizations, updates the New Hampshire State Wildlife Action Plan.

The Wildlife Action Plan provides a strategic vision for conserving New Hampshire’s most vulnerable wildlife species and habitats, keeping common species common, and for working towards our common goal of conservation for many generations to come.  The revision is also a requirement of the USFWS to receive federal State Wildlife Grant funding which is critical to the effective management of so many wildlife species in NH. The NH revision is underway and the NH Fish and Game Department team has made tremendous progress thus far… a revised list of Species of Greatest Conservation Need and their associated habitats have been selected and we are wrapping up an updated assessment of the risks for those species and habitats.  We have also developed a page on their Department website that continues to be updated as new information becomes available: 2025 State Wildlife Action Plan | State of New Hampshire Fish and Game (nh.gov).

The next critical step in this revision is getting input from conservation partners and the public.  To gather input, the Department collaborated with the University of New Hampshire to develop a web-based survey.  This survey was updated from one that was completed for the 2015 Wildlife Action Plan revision. The survey is intended to assess how conservation partners and the public are using the Wildlife Action Plan, how it can be improved, and to gather ideas on actions needed to benefit our wildlife populations.  New Hampshire Fish and Game Department staff hope you will consider participating and passing along survey to anyone that might be interested.

For questions on the survey or the Wildlife Action Plan revision, contact us at: WildlifeActionPlan@wildlife.nh.gov

Press Release: https://nhfishgame.com/2024/10/22/take-the-wildlife-action-plan-survey-today/

Posted in Announcements/Events, General, Public Involvement/Outreach, Reporting, Watershed Protection (High Quality Waters), Watershed Restoration (Impaired Waters), Watershed-based Plans | Comments Off on Take the New Hampshire Wildlife Action Plan Survey Today!

Request for Qualifications: Sunrise Lake Implementation Projects

Posted on November 5, 2024 by sally.soule

The Strafford Regional Planning Commission (SRPC) seeks a Qualified Environmental Professional (QEP) to provide technical services for implementation of the Sunrise Lake Watershed Management Plan (2021). The QEP will work under the direction of SRPC staff and in close collaboration with the Sunrise Lake Watershed Advisory Committee and its partners to develop designs, cost-estimates, and operation and maintenance plans for structural best management practices (BMPs) to control stormwater; obtain state permits for BMPs; develop an approved NHDES Site Specific Project Plan; provide construction oversight; document pollutant load reduction estimates; and participate in project team meetings. The Request for Qualifications (RFQ) can be found on SRPC’s website: https://strafford.org/rfp/request-for-qualifications-sunrise-lake-watershed-management-plan-implementation-legal-notice/

Deadline for receipt: Qualification packages must be received prior to 5:00PM on Friday, December 13, 2024. Submittals shall be sent by email to Kyle Pimental at kpimental@strafford.org with subject line: Sunrise Lake RFQ. Late submissions will not be considered.

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REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS Issued by the Town of Sutton for Watershed-based Plan Development for a Healthy Kezar Lake

Posted on October 9, 2024 by Katie Zink

The Town of Sutton, in cooperation with the Kezar Lake Protective Association (KLPA), is requesting Statements of Qualifications from interested Civil Engineers and/or Environmental Consultants to develop a Watershed-based Management Plan (WBP) for Kezar Lake that meets the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) requirements for nine-element (a-i) watershed management plan.

Link to full Request for Qualifications

Questions regarding this RFQ can be submitted to Lynn Wittman, President of the KLPA, at kezarlakepanh@gmail.com by October 23, 2024.

Representatives from the Towns of Sutton, the KLPA, and the NHDES will review qualification packages. The contract will be between the Town of Sutton and the consultant.

Statement of Qualifications are required to be submitted electronically and in hard copy no later than November 12, 2024 at 2pm:

  • Electronic copies of your Statement of Qualification should be emailed in PDF format with “Kezar Lake RFQ” in the subject line to the following:

Julia Jones, Sutton Town Administrator: townadmin@sutton-nh.org

Glenn Pogust, Sutton Selectboard Member: gpogust@outlook.com

Lynn Wittman, KLPA President: kezarlakepanh@gmail.com

  • Please also submit three (3) hardcopies to the Office of the Town Administrator at Sutton Town Hall, 93 Main St, Sutton, NH 03221. Include “Attention: Glenn Pogust” and “Kezar Lake Watershed RFQ” on the outside of the package/ envelope.
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NH LAKES is Hiring!

Posted on September 6, 2024 by Andrea Lamoreaux

This fall, NH LAKES is looking forward to hiring a Conservation Program Coordinator to join our fun, collaborative, and hardworking team. Together, we inspire and help people live, do business, and govern in a lake-friendly way. Helping others do their part to ensure our lakes are clean and healthy today and into the future is meaningful work and is vitally important for our way of life, environment, and economy here in New Hampshire.

The Conservation Program Coordinator will lead the coordination of our aquatic invasive species education and spread prevention program–the Lake Host Program—and assist with coordinating our LakeSmart Lake-Friendly Living Program.

For the full position announcement and position description, visit nhlakes.org/join-our-team.

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Three-day Online Short Course: “Using Fluvial Geomorphology to Improve Stream Restoration and Watershed Management” with Dr. John Field. REGISTER TODAY!

Posted on September 4, 2024 by Steve Landry

Field Geology Services is pleased to offer a three-day online short course entitled “Using Fluvial Geomorphology to Improve Stream Restoration and Watershed Management” from November 18-20, 2024.  An optional virtual field trip is also being held on November 21, 2024.  This course covers the basic principles of fluvial geomorphology and their use in watershed assessments and the design of stream restoration projects.  The virtual field trip will be in the Chesapeake Bay region with additional locations potentially added based on the interests of course registrants.  The course is being organized and hosted by the River Management Society (RMS).  A brief course description is found below with more details available on the RMS website along with registration information, pricing, and additional course dates in 2025: https://rms.memberclicks.net/november-2024-fluvial-geomorphology.

Call Dr. John Field at 207-491-9541 or e-mail jfield@field-geology.com for further information on registration or course content.  An early registration discount is available prior to October 18th.  An additional discount is available for RMS members (and for those that join during registration).  Please call or email regarding additional discounts for students and groups of three or more.  Please pass this announcement on to others that might be interested.

Using Fluvial Geomorphology to Improve Stream Restoration and Watershed Management

This 3-day online short course (from 10am-5pm Eastern Time each day) with an optional virtual field trip will provide an overview of fluvial geomorphology with a thorough discussion of key concepts such as the principles of equilibrium, channel classification methods, channel evolution, and sediment transport continuity.  A number of examples and case studies from New England, the Pacific Northwest, the Chesapeake Bay region and elsewhere in the country will demonstrate how an understanding of fluvial geomorphology can be used in watershed assessments to identify the underlying causal mechanisms for erosion and flooding problems responsible for significant infrastructure damage and environmental degradation.  Additional case studies will be used to reveal common errors made in stream restoration projects when the basic principles of fluvial geomorphology are not taken into consideration. The course will conclude with a discussion of the appropriate settings and conditions within which to employ a variety of widely used stream restoration techniques.  The virtual field trip will visit degraded streams where future restoration projects may be completed and to already completed stream restoration sites in order to illustrate and reinforce the fluvial geomorphology concepts and stream restoration techniques discussed in the course.

The short course will consist of visual presentations, small group exercises, and activities that will provide participants with practical experiences and examples to recognize unstable channel reaches in a watershed and identify the most appropriate stream restoration techniques that will best address the identified instabilities, if present.  The course is designed for government officials, environmental and engineering consultants, construction contractors, non-profit watershed groups, educators, students, and others dealing with flooding, erosion, nutrient loading, and habitat issues along rivers and streams.

Posted in Announcements/Events, General, Other Funding Sources, Public Involvement/Outreach, Watershed Protection (High Quality Waters), Watershed Restoration (Impaired Waters), Watershed-based Plans | Comments Off on Three-day Online Short Course: “Using Fluvial Geomorphology to Improve Stream Restoration and Watershed Management” with Dr. John Field. REGISTER TODAY!

New Hampshire Nonpoint Source Management Program Plan- DRAFT released for review and comment

Posted on August 15, 2024 by Katie Zink

The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) is proud to announce the DRAFT 2025-2029 New Hampshire Nonpoint Source Management Program Plan. The Nonpoint Source (NPS) Management Program Plan (Plan) presents the NHDES strategy for preventing, controlling, and reducing NPS pollution to protect and restore the quality of New Hampshire waters. The DRAFT 2025-2029 Plan covers the Nonpoint Source Management Program’s goals from October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2029, and updates and builds upon the 2020-2024 NPS Management Program Plan.

We invite you to review, comment, and provide feedback. All comments and suggested edits will be considered by NHDES prior to the submittal of the final Draft Plan to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Comments must be submitted in writing to Steve Landry, NPS Program Coordinator, via email at stephen.c.landry@des.nh.gov no later than August 28, 2024.

Once approved by EPA, the final 2025-2029 New Hampshire Nonpoint Source Management Program Plan will be posted to the NHDES website. The DRAFT 2025-2029 NPS Management Program Plan serves as a non-regulatory road map to guide NPS Management Program activities including outreach, planning and implementation projects. 

NHDES realizes that achieving the objectives, and milestones outlined in the NPS Plan relies upon the cooperation of many different programs, actions, and initiatives, working toward a common goal. The NPS Management Program Plan recognizes that NHDES must continue to work with its many partners on a watershed-by-watershed basis to improve, restore, and protect New Hampshire’s water resources. We look forward to continued collaboration with our extensive network of program partners in protecting, improving, and restoring the quality of waters throughout New Hampshire.

 As you review the DRAFT 2025-2029 Plan, please keep in mind that this is the New Hampshire Nonpoint Source Management Program workplan and we wrote this to be realistic and achievable within the 5-year time frame. The audience for this Plan is EPA, NHDES, partners identified within the Plan and grantees.

We appreciate your time and input! Please have any comments returned by August 28, 2024.

 Best,

Katie Zink, Andrea Bejtlich, and Steve Landry

 

 

 

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Watershed Assistance Section 319 Grants and Water Quality Planning 604(b) Grants

Posted on July 11, 2024 by Katie Zink

Responses for both grants are due by 4:00 PM, September 13, 2024.

Watershed Assistance Grants | NH Department of Environmental Services

Watershed Assistance Section 319 Grants

Solicitation for projects to address nonpoint source (NPS) pollution through the implementation of watershed-based plans.

Each year NHDES solicits projects to address nonpoint source (NPS) pollution through the implementation of watershed-based plans in priority watersheds. Projects must comprehensively address NPS problems and must have a quantitative way to assess progress and determine success. The watershed-based plan must have a clear water quality goal and include the nine, minimum elements (a) through (i) required by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Funded projects must make reasonable progress toward achieving the water quality goal established in the watershed-based plan.

NHDES’ Watershed Assistance Section has released the 2025 Watershed Assistance Grants’ Pre-proposal request for proposals (RFP) to support local initiatives to restore impaired waters or protect high quality waters. Pre-proposals are due by 4:00 PM, September 13, 2024.

For more information, contact: 

Funds for this grant are appropriated through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act.

Water Quality Planning 604(b) Grants

Water Quality Planning 604(b) grants are available for water quality planning purposes. The 2025 Request for Letter of Intent (LOI) is now available. An approximate total award amount of $180,000 is available. All LOIs are due by 4:00 PM, September 13, 2024.

Section 604(b) of the EPA Clean Water Act requires funds to be allocated for conducting water quality planning, including:

  1. Identifying the most cost effective and locally acceptable facility and nonpoint source (NPS) measures to meet and maintain water quality standards.
  2. Developing an implementation plan to obtain state and local financial and regulatory commitments to implement water quality plans.
  3. Determining the nature, extent, and causes of water quality problems in the state.
  4. Determining those publicly owned treatment works which should be constructed, taking into account the relative degree of effluent reduction attained and the consideration of alternatives to such construction.

Other eligible projects that address the above water quality concerns may include but are not limited to: developing corridor management plans for designated rivers; conducting monitoring to address specific water quality concerns; planning stormwater retrofits to address water quality impairments; green infrastructure projects that manage wet weather to maintain or restore natural hydrology; working with municipalities committed to adopting specific model ordinances and/or meeting regulations (MS4 Permits) to address priority water quality planning concerns; and/or developing watershed-based plans in accordance with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) criteria requiring nine key elements (a) through (i) for watershed-based plans.

For more information contact: 

 

 

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REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS Issued by the Town of Hollis, NH for Silver Lake Watershed Management Plan

Posted on June 20, 2024 by Katie Zink

The Town of Hollis is soliciting proposals from Qualified Environmental Professionals (QEPs) with proven expertise performing watershed planning to provide guidance for selected tasks related to the development of a watershed management plan for Silver Lake in Hollis, NH.

Link to RFQ: Silver Lake Watershed RFQ

A complete and timely submittal of all required documents is mandatory for the qualifications package to be considered. The deadline for receipt of RFQ proposals is August 14, 2024 (3:00 p.m. ET).

Questions must be submitted by 3:00 p.m. ET on July 24, 2024, and must have the subject line: “Silver Lake Watershed RFQ Question”. If you have a question, please follow this procedure to ensure the answers are consistent. Any information obtained by speaking one-on-one with a project partner is not considered an official response for the purposes of this process.

A Question-and-Answer Digest (Q & A Digest) version of all RFQ questions and answers will be emailed to everyone who submits a question. Additional persons wishing to receive the RFQ, Q & A Digest should request a copy via email by contacting Lori Radke at: administration@hollisnh.org (subject: “Silver Lake Watershed RFQ, Q & A Digest Request”). The Town shall distribute the Q & A Digest by August 7, 2024.

The Town of Hollis will not respond to telephone inquiries about the RFQ.

Electronic copies of your Statement of Qualifications should be emailed in PDF format and
received no later than Wednesday, August 14, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. ET to Lori Radke at
administration@hollisnh.org. Include “Silver Lake Watershed RFQ” in the subject line.

Alternatively, if unable to submit electronically, two (2) hardcopies must be submitted by the closing date and time to the Town of Hollis, 7 Monument Square, Hollis, NH 03049, Attention: Lori Radke, and include “Silver Lake Watershed RFQ” on the outside of the package/envelope.

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Request for Qualifications: Milton Three Ponds Watershed Plan Development

Posted on May 22, 2024 by sally.soule

Strafford Regional Planning Commission is soliciting proposals from Qualified Environmental Professionals (QEPs) with proven expertise performing watershed planning to provide guidance for selected tasks related to the development of a watershed management plan for Milton Three Ponds.

The partnership formed to lead this project comprises a diverse group, with a wide range of relevant backgrounds and skills, and who are committed to performing much of the required work themselves; however, completion of a select subset of watershed analyses and planning tasks require services of a QEP working collaboratively with the project partners.

Submissions are due by 5:00 PM, Monday, June 17, 2024. Complete submittals should be sent by email in digital format (PDF or Microsoft Word) to Lisa Murphy, SRPC Senior Regional Planner, at lmurphy@Strafford.org with subject line: Milton Three Ponds RFQ. A complete and timely submittal as described in this RFQ is required in order to be considered.

Link to RFQ: Milton Three Ponds RFQ

This project is funded through a grant from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation in partnership with the Great Bay 2030 Initiative.

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