Hi All,
The DES Watershed Assistance Section is currently updating New Hampshire’s Nonpoint Source Management Plan (Plan). The State’s last Nonpoint Source Management Plan was published in 1999 (http://des.nh.gov/organization/commissioner/pip/publications/wd/documents/nhdes-wd-99-7.pdf). In addition to the Plan being out of date, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is requiring all states to update their plans by 2014 in order to remain eligible for federal Section 319 funds. New program guidelines require that Section 319-funded projects be listed in the Plan, and further, that watershed projects must occur in priority watersheds.
DES has completed a prioritization process to identify priority watersheds using the Recovery Potential Screening Tool (RPST) developed by EPA. There are two distinct sets of priority watersheds, one for restoration, if impaired, and one for protection of high quality waters.
Details of the prioritization process are included in the draft Plan section, Priority Areas for Nonpoint Source Management Activities, available on the DES ftp site (instructions for accessing the site are below. This draft document is being made available to the public for an informal comment period. We would like to know your thoughts about our approach to prioritizing New Hampshire’s waters and watersheds. We are asking that you provide feedback by 4:00pm, Friday August 2nd.
Please send your comments to Jillian McCarthy at jillian.mccarthy@des.nh.gov
To access the document on the DES ftp site:
1) Go to this address using a web browser:ftp://199.192.6.23/DES/wmb/
2) At the login window, click on the box in the lower left hand corner labeled “Log On Anonymously”.
3) The User Name will then be automatically filled in with the word “Anonymous”.
4) Type in your e-mail address in the Email Address block.
5) Then click on the Log On button.
6) The Watershed Management Bureau directories should appear.
7) Click on the “Watershed Assistance” folder, then “NPS Management Plan”. A pdf of the draft document is available for download in this folder.