NH Forges New Path on Forest Protection as Lawmakers Weigh Carbon and Conservation

The state's approach to forest conservation has fractured into competing legislative efforts, each proposing different mechanisms to protect New Hampshire's 4.9 million acres of forestland. Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander of Campton has introduced the Forest Conservation Easement Program Act of 2025, bipartisan legislation designed to expand protections for working forests by establishing new funding pathways for land trusts and tribal governments to purchase development rights. The bill, co-sponsored at the federal level by U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Roger Wicker, targets a critical gap in existing conservation programs—no current federal mechanism allows land trusts, tribes, and nonprofits to obtain and hold conservation easements on private forestland.

Meanwhile, state lawmakers have taken divergent stances on forest carbon markets, a newer conservation tool that has generated significant controversy. The legislature considered House Bill 1484, which would exclude forestland enrolled in carbon sequestration programs from New Hampshire's Current Use Program, a property tax benefit that incentivizes forest preservation. The proposal reflects growing concerns among rural landowners and timber operators about the implications of carbon markets. State Rep. Mike Ouellet, R-Colebrook, sponsored HB 1440 to require state oversight of carbon sequestration projects, citing potential fire risks and the need for public safety oversight. However, the bill faced opposition from timber industry representatives and conservation attorneys alike, with critics arguing it was premature given an ongoing state study on carbon programs not scheduled for completion until November 2027.

New Hampshire has already demonstrated progress on federal forest conservation fronts. In July 2025, the state acquired a conservation easement protecting 1,248.5 acres of privately owned forestland in the northeastern region through a $2.3 million grant from the USDA Forest Service's Forest Legacy Program. The Dundee Community Forest, now managed by the Upper Saco Valley Land Trust, exemplifies the model Goodlander's legislation aims to expand—permanent protection that allows sustainable timber harvesting while preserving habitat and carbon sequestration benefits.

State lawmakers also advanced House Bill 221, which the New Hampshire Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources approved to strengthen the state's Agricultural Land Preservation Program by allowing land trusts to hold easements. While not exclusively focused on forests, the measure reflects growing legislative recognition that diversified conservation mechanisms may be necessary to address competing priorities in the state's landscape management.