At the upcoming Bow town meeting, voters have the chance to preserve open space. The Bow Conservation Commission will seek approval, through a town warrant article, for optional powers that are available under New Hampshire law. This would allow the Commission to provide funding to a qualified land trust for purchasing properties or conservation easements in Bow. This would give Bow landowners another option to receive funds for conserving their land.

More than 40 New Hampshire towns have adopted the optional powers process. The funds come from fees paid by developers or property owners who remove land from “current use” for development. Many years ago, the town designated these fees to the Conservation Commission’s conservation fund, which must be used for conservation efforts in Bow. These funds were previously used in Bow to purchase the very popular Nottingcook Forest and the Hammond Nature Preserve.

Bow Open Spaces supports this as it will boost efforts to conserve the remaining undeveloped land in Bow. As a local land trust, BOS has the expertise and capacity, along with grants and private contributions, to preserve open space in Bow for conservation and public enjoyment. Importantly, with oversight from the Conservation Commission, this funding will stay within Bow, going directly to property owners who agree to permanently conserve their land. The proposed funding mechanism falls under state law RSA 36-A:4-a, I(b), which was revised in 2008 to strengthen the protection of New Hampshire’s natural resources.

Martin Murray

Bow