About the Wetlands Council

RSA 21-O:5-a establishes a Wetlands Council composed of five state agency representatives and eight members of the public, appointed by the Governor and Council for a term of three years, or until a successor is chosen.

Duties of the Wetlands Council

• To consult with and advise the Commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services or his/her designee, with respect to policy, programs, goals, and operations of the Department as they relate to wetlands and protected shorelands with particular emphasis on long-range planning for the Department, and public education relative to the functions of the Department.

• To hear all administrative appeals from Department decisions made under RSA 482-A relative to wetlands, and/or under RSA 483-B relative to shoreland protection, and shall decide all disputed issues of fact in such appeals in accordance with RSA 21-O:14.

• To consider all proposed rules presented by the Commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services relative to wetlands and shoreland protection, prior to the Department filing of a notice of proposed rules under RSA 541-A:6, and within 15 days shall present, in writing, any objections of proposed rules to the Commissioner.

• To adopt rules to govern its proceedings in accordance with the rulemaking provisions of RSA 541-A, notwithstanding RSA 21-O:14.

• To approve disbursements of the aquatic resource compensatory mitigation fund established under RSA 482-A:29.

• To perform any additional functions assigned to it by amendment to RSA 21-O:5-a.

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