This bill requires the commissioner of the department of natural and cultural resources to identify all old growth and mature forests on public land in the state of New Hampshire. The identified forests will be used for potential in situ forest carbon storage, flood and drought mitigation, water quality, and biodiversity protection. The bill also specifies that the identification and mapping of these forests will be done pursuant to RSA 227-G.

The Department of Natural and Cultural Resources estimates that implementing this bill would require seven new Environmentalist III positions, each costing approximately $133,000 in FY 2025. The total fiscal impact to implement this bill with the seven positions would be $931,000 in FY 2025, $644,000 in FY 2026, and $665,000 in FY 2027. The bill does not provide funding for these positions.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 227-G:4