Revision: March 23, 2012, midnight
SB 217-FN – AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE
03/21/12 1191s
03/21/12 1367s
2012 SESSION
04/03
SENATE BILL 217-FN
AN ACT relative to management of Cannon Mountain by the department of resources and economic development.
SPONSORS: Sen. Bradley, Dist 3; Sen. Barnes, Jr., Dist 17; Sen. Boutin, Dist 16; Sen. Bragdon, Dist 11; Sen. Carson, Dist 14; Sen. De Blois, Dist 18; Sen. Forsythe, Dist 4; Sen. Groen, Dist 6; Sen. Lambert, Dist 13; Sen. Luther, Dist 12; Sen. Sanborn, Dist 7; Rep. Bettencourt, Rock 4; Rep. Weyler, Rock 8
COMMITTEE: Energy and Natural Resources
This bill requires the commissioner of the department of resources and economic development to:
I. Develop a master plan for Cannon Mountain and Franconia Notch state park including recommendations on whether or not the ski operations of Cannon Mountain should be leased to a private entity.
II. Consult with veterans service organizations in drafting a plan for the construction of a veterans’ memorial in Franconia Notch state park.
III. Develop a hiking corridor from the base of Mittersill Mountain over the summit of Mittersill Mountain to connect with the Kinsman Ridge trail at the summit of Cannon Mountain.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
03/21/12 1191s
03/21/12 1367s
12-2838
04/03
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twelve
AN ACT relative to management of Cannon Mountain by the department of resources and economic development.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Department of Resources and Economic Development; Cannon Mountain and Franconia Notch Park Master Plan.
I. The commissioner of the department of resources and economic development shall develop a master plan for Cannon Mountain and Franconia Notch state park. The master plan shall include measures to enhance the experience of visitors, protect the natural beauty of the park, promote access to the park, promote access for hikers, enhance the collection of revenue, and promote the establishment of a veterans’ memorial. The master plan shall include an analysis of whether it is in the public interest to lease the ski operations of Cannon Mountain to a private vendor. If the master plan recommends leasing the ski operations of Cannon Mountain, the master plan shall include the terms and conditions of any prospective lease in a manner that best protects the public interest.
II. The master plan shall be submitted to the state park system advisory council established in RSA 216-A:3-k for its recommendations prior to being submitted, along with any recommendations for proposed legislation, to the governor and council and the general court on or before July 1, 2013.
III. In addition, the commissioner of the department of resources and economic development shall develop a plan detailing measures to be undertaken to ensure that the ski operations of Cannon Mountain, including all debt obligations, will become self-funded and self-sufficient. The commissioner shall submit the plan to the senate president, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the governor and council on or before November 1, 2012.
2 Establishment of a Veterans’ Memorial.
I. The commissioner of the department of resources and economic development shall consult with veterans service organizations who may draft a plan for construction of a veterans’ memorial in an area of the park that is accessible to the public and convenient in terms of parking and facilities. The department shall not be responsible for the cost of development of this plan but the department shall approve any plan submitted by veterans service organizations. The plan shall include details relating to a design for the memorial and the projected cost of the memorial. The department shall be responsible for the cost of landscaping the specified area for the memorial and may propose funding for landscaping in the next capital budget. All other costs for construction and operation of the memorial shall be funded through private donations. If veterans service organizations choose not to submit a plan for a veterans’ memorial or cannot raise the necessary funding, nothing in this section shall obligate the department to proceed with planning or construction of a veterans’ memorial.
II. Upon approval of the plan for the veterans’ memorial in paragraph I, the commissioner of the department of resources and economic development shall authorize volunteers to relocate the Kinsman Ridge trailhead around the site of the veterans’ memorial.
3 Department of Resources and Economic Development; Hiking Corridor on Ski Trails. The commissioner of the department of resources and economic development shall, after consulting with fish and game department, develop a hiking corridor from the base of Mittersill Mountain over the summit of Mittersill Mountain to connect with the Kinsman Ridge trail at the summit of Cannon Mountain. The department may restrict access to the hiking trail only during times the ski area is open to the public and only if restricting such access is necessary to promote safety.
4 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.
LBAO
12-2838
Revised 12/21/11
SB 217-FN - FISCAL NOTE
AN ACT relative to the management of Cannon Mountain by the department of resources and economic development.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Department of Resources and Economic Development states this bill will increase state expenditures by $20,000 in FY 2012, and by an indeterminable amount in FY 2014. There is no fiscal impact on county and local expenditures, or state, county and local revenue.
METHODOLOGY:
The Department of Resources and Economic Development states this bill changes the name of Franconia Notch State Park to Franconia Notch Veterans’ Memorial State Park and requires signage to be replaced to reflect the name change; requires the Department to solicit requests for information from entities interested in leasing Cannon Mountain; and requires a plan to construct a veterans’ memorial, plan for erosion mitigation, plan for removal of construction and demolition waste, and a plan for the development of two hiking corridors on certain ski trails. The Department states it can absorb any costs associated with issuing a request for information to lease Cannon Mountain. The Department estimates the cost to design and install new signs to reflect the name change at $20,000 of state general funds in FY 2012. The Department states there is no cost for an erosion mitigation plan as it is required by the Department of Environmental Services as part of the Mittersill construction project, and there is no cost to remove construction and demolition waste as this occurred during the course of the Mittersill construction. The Department estimates the cost to develop a plan for a Veteran’s Memorial at $250,000. The Department used the cost of the feasibility study for the Hampton Beach redevelopment project as a guide for estimating the cost for the Veteran’s Memorial plan. The Department further estimates the actual construction of a memorial could cost as much as $7 million based on the costs for constructing and installing the Old Man of the Mountain memorial. The Department estimates it will cost $5,000 to plan and develop two hiking trails. The Department assumes costs for the Veteran’s Memorial and the hiking trails would be paid through the state’s capital budget.