This bill establishes a four-year pilot program in New Hampshire to enhance the management and maintenance of specific rail trails by transferring ownership of four designated rail corridors from the Department of Transportation (DOT) to the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR). The corridors involved in this transfer include the Presidential, Pondicherry Section, Ammonoosuc Rail Trail, New Littleton-Bethlehem Segment, and Cheshire Rail Trail. The bill introduces new legal provisions that assign the DNCR and its Bureau of Trails the responsibility for the safety, maintenance, rehabilitation, and repair of these rail trails, while also creating two funds: the Rail Trails Program Fund and the Emergency Trail Repair Fund. The Rail Trails Program Fund is allocated $250,000 for each of the fiscal years 2026 and 2027, while the Emergency Trail Repair Fund is allocated $1 for the same years.

The bill aims to clarify ownership, rights, and responsibilities for rail trails across the state and includes provisions for the appropriation of funds to support enforcement and oversight, particularly through the Fish and Game Department. The DNCR will manage the Emergency Trail Repair Fund, preventing the DOT from accessing these funds directly. This shift is intended to alleviate financial burdens on state agencies and municipalities, although the DNCR has indicated that the proposed appropriations may be insufficient, estimating a need for $3.6 million in funding for the fiscal years 2026 and 2027. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, and is based on recommendations from the 2022 NH State Rail Trails Plan, which emphasized the need for increased state funding and a unified management approach for rail trails.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 215-A:3, 6:12
As Amended by the Senate: 215-A:3, 6:12