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March 17 was no lucky charm for New Hampshire citizens as the Finance Committee of the New Hampshire House of Representatives pulled a bait-and-switch move with fees instituted specifically to support conservation and historic preservation.
"The Forest Society is profoundly disappointed that the legislature is proposing to raid the dedicated fund for the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program," said President/Forester Jane Difley. "We recognize the extremely difficult financial situation facing the state, but the legislature shouldn't deceive the people of New Hampshire, who've been told that when they pay this fee, they are supporting conservation and historic preservation, not general state government."
Difley urged concerned NH residents to call their State Representatives, State Senator, and Governor Lynch to ask them to reject the Houses' latest raid on LCHIP and to return 100 percent of LCHIP's dedicated funding in FY11. The full House will vote on this measure on March 24.
"Interestingly, of the more than 200 dedicated funds that exist, LCHIP is the only one to be directed away from its legal purpose," Difley said. "Though the amount of money raised by the LCHIP fee is small compared to the overall budget, the principle at stake is huge."
The Finance Committee of the N.H. House of Representatives voted unanimously to recommend passage of HB1664, a bill proposing a series of new cuts to state government agencies and services in the state's next fiscal year (FY11), which begins on July 1. Along with the spending cuts, the bill diverts another million dollars from the dedicated fee collected on document recording to fund LCHIP to the state's general fund.
The new raid is in addition to the 50 percent diversion of the LCHIP fee (about $1.75 million) already slated for FY11 under the final state budget approved last spring, and a $3.5 million "sweep" of the LCHIP trust fund in early 2009. In other words, if approved, yesterday's new raid would be the third diversion of the LCHIP fee since collection began just 20 months ago.
Funds raised in the name of conservation and historic preservation should not be spent to fund general government, especially given that LCHIP does not contribute to the state's budget deficit.
The Forest Society is urging members and conservation supporters to call their state representatives and ask them to oppose this diversion of the LCHIP fee. Ask your elected member in the House of Representatives to restore the funds that the Finance Committee proposes to raid. If you don't know who your elected Representative is or how to contact him/her, go to www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/members/wml.aspx.
Call before March 24, and ask legislators who don't support the LCHIP raid should be asked to express their opposition to their House colleagues and the Speaker of the House.
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