Plan Tools
Impervious Surface Study
Results from this study will be posted by the end of 2015.
Land Protection Study
From 2010 to 2012, the Central New Hampshire Regional Planning Commission (CNHRPC) worked with the Upper Merrimack River Local Advisory Committee (UMRLAC) to assess land protection throughout the region. This study included a survey of Planning Boards and Conservation Commissions in the Upper Merrimack River region; the development of a set of maps showing conservation lands, current use enrollment, and high quality habitat areas; and the development of a report summarizing the findings and recent development trends.
Based on responses to the questionnaire, each community was presented with a resource information sheet containing links to resources requested by the Planning Board and Conservation Commission. Resource topics include information on Low Impact Development (LID), changes to the Shoreland Water Quality Protection Act, information on easements and conservation funding, and more.
Information sheets and maps for each municipality may be found below:
Boscawen Information Sheet
Boscawen Map
Bow Information Sheet
Bow Map
Canterbury Information Sheet
Canterbury Map
Concord Information Sheet
Concord Map
Franklin Information Sheet
Franklin Map
Northfield Information Sheet
Northfield Map
Upper Merrimack River Buffer Protection Study
CNHRPC received funding from the NH Department of Environmental Services under Section 604(b) of the Clean Water Act to assist the Upper Merrimack River Local Advisory Committee (UMRLAC) in conducting a study of riparian buffer protection and land use along the river. The study fulfills recommendations made in the the 2007 Upper Merrimack Management and Implementation Plan.
The Upper Merrimack River Buffer Protection Study completed in 2010 assesses the level of protection of the river’s shoreland in each municipality, based on a local regulatory review and a series of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping exercises. Each community has its own local regulatory framework that offers different levels of protection to the river. This study examines those differences and makes recommendations for steps that Upper Merrimack communities could take to achieve a more uniform and more stringent level of riparian buffer protection.
The Upper Merrimack River is designated under the New Hampshire River Management and Protection Program for its outstanding natural and cultural resources. The river runs through four communities in the Central New Hampshire Region and two communities in the Lakes Region:
Boscawen
Bow
Canterbury
Concord
Franklin
Northfield
UMRLAC is a volunteer committee made up of representatives from each community along the river. The Committee is responsible for developing and implementing a river management plan and provides advisory input on activities which may affect the water quality or flow in the protected river segments. Committee members organize and conduct volunteer water quality monitoring activities and report results to the NH Department of Environmental Services. The results are included in statewide water quality reports to Congress, and are also used by academia, health officers, and other organizations and entities.
Final UMRLAC Land Protection/Regional Development Trends Report
Click here to download a PDF of the Upper Merrimack River Buffer Protection Study