NEW HAMPSHIRE NEWS 



PLANT GROWERS 

 SUPPORT H.B. 1242 



House Bill 1242 as introduced by 

 Rep. David Scanlon (R-Canaan) is 

 a bill to establish a study committee 

 to examine present current use law 

 (which allows land value to be 

 based on its current use rather than 

 its economic potential) in New 

 Hampshire and its effects on local 

 revenues. The committee will 

 research the formation of a new 

 category in current use taxation for 

 "residential open space" and 

 examine the. possibility of a 

 statewide fund from which to 

 reimburse municipalities with large 

 areasof land in current use. No 

 new laws affecting current use 

 taxation as it currently exists can be 

 enacted until after this committee 

 has made its report. 



H.B. 1242 was introduced in 

 reaction to two other bills currently 

 before the legislature. One 

 (introduced by Tom Christie, R- 

 Hookset) would eliminate current 

 use altogether, allowing the land to 

 be taxed on its maximum 

 commercial value; another 

 (introduced by Michael Tetu, D- 

 Claremont) would require a 

 hundred dollar yearly fee from all 

 owners of land in current use who 

 would not open their property to 

 the public. 



TTie New Hampshire Plant 

 Growers' Association is joining 

 with such organizations as the NH 

 Timberland Owners Association, 

 NH Travel Council, NH Fmit 

 Growers' Association, NH Farm 

 Bureau Federation, NH Lodging & 

 Restaurant Association, NH 

 Association of Realtors, The 

 Society for Protection of NH 

 Forests, Audubon Society of NH, 

 Nature Conservancy, NH 

 Snowmobile Association, and the 

 Business & Industry Association in 

 supporting the passage of H.B. 

 1242. 



John Schott, a former president oi 

 NHTOA and Chairman of the 

 Coalition for Current Use, feels the 

 committee set up by the bill could 



recommend changes in the present 

 laws, but that "these would be only 

 recommendations. The present 

 current use laws should not be 

 modified without careful delibera- 

 tion," John says. "Current use in 

 some form will continue to play an 

 important role in defining the 

 landscape around us." 



For more information, contact John 

 Schott, 218 Mountain Road, Jaffrey 

 Center, NH; telephone (603) 532- 

 7660. 



ACTIONS OF THE 

 PESTICIDE BOARD 



The New Hampshire Pesticide 

 Board is looking into the possibility 

 of adding an amendment onto its 

 already existing rules. This amend- 

 ment would state clearly that the 

 State Board can preempt local 

 authorities. 



Jeff Huntington (Pleasant View 

 Gardens), who is a member of the 

 Board, says that even though 

 legislation introduced in the US 

 Congress would achieve the same 

 goals (see "Elsewhere in the 

 News"), this amendment would be 

 an additional safety factor for the 

 state of New Hampshire. Jeff feels 

 local control would create major 

 complications for the horticulture 

 industry: "With local control, 

 who'd do the testing, the enforce- 

 ment.' What if your land were in 

 two different towns?" The list of 

 unanswered questions goes on. 



While the Pesticide Board works 

 here in the state to prevent these 

 genuinely plausible complications, 

 Jeff strongly recommends that local 

 growers send letters of support for 

 the national bills (H.R. 3850 and 

 S.2085) to their Congressmen. 



OTHER BILLS OF 

 INTEREST 



Both Jeff Huntington and Bob 

 Demers mentioned two bills in the 

 New Hampshire House that may be 

 of interest to NHPGA members. 

 H.B. 1245 -FN (introduced by Rep. 

 Roulston of Rockingham District 

 20) "establishes specific notice 

 requirements for all persons 

 applying landscape care products." 

 The bill "regulates the handling 

 and application of landscape care 

 products," and "requires the 

 commissioner of the depanment of 

 agriculture to administer the new 

 chapter." 



"The Department of Agriculture 

 indicates this bill will increase state 

 expenditures by $ 1 50, 1 99 in FY 

 1993, by $199,456 in FY 1994, and 

 by $207, 388 in FY 1995. State 

 revenues will increase by an 

 indeterminable amount." 



And H.B. 1 146-FN, introduced by 

 Rep. White of Grafton District 6, 

 "requires pesticide sprayers to notify 

 municipal officials and abutters to 

 affected property five days before 

 any type of pesticide spraying is to 

 take place. The pesticide control 

 board of the department of 

 agriculture is required to adopt rules 

 concerning notification and posting 

 of property to be sprayed." 



"The Department of Agriculture 

 indicates that this bill will increase 

 state expenditures by $ 1 2 1 ,449 in 

 FY 1993, by $148,674 in FY 1994, 

 and by $155,067 in FY 1995." 

 There is no impact on revenues. 



The hearings for these bills are 

 being held by the House 

 Environment and Agriculture 

 Committee on January 15. If these 

 bills get out of committee, NHPGA 



February/March 1992 7 



