1 Purpose; Land and Community Heritage Investment Program. Amend RSA 227-M:1 to read as follows:

227-M:1 Purpose. The general court finds that in order to maintain New Hampshire's quality of life and economic vitality for its citizens, growth and development should be balanced with careful protection of the state's most important natural, cultural, and historical resources . Permanent protection of these resources, through acquisition of lands, buildings, and other physical assets, or interests in these assets, must be accomplished along with their planned long-term stewardship. The general court further recognizes the importance of public-private partnerships to achieve these ends. To protect and preserve New Hampshire's natural, cultural, and historical resources for this and future generations, the general court establishes in this chapter the New Hampshire land and community heritage investment program. The intent of the program is to conserve and preserve this state's most important natural, cultural, and historical resources through the acquisition of lands, and cultural and historical resources, or interests therein, of local, regional, and statewide significance, in partnership with the state's municipalities and the private sector, for the primary purposes of protecting and ensuring the perpetual contribution of these resources to the state's economy, environment, and overall quality of life.

2 Eligible Resource; Land and Community Heritage Investment Program. Amend RSA 227-M:2, V to read as follows:

V. "Eligible resource" means a natural, cultural, or historical resource including archaeological sites; historic buildings and structures which house cultural events and programs; historic properties including buildings and structures; historic and cultural lands and features; ecologically significant lands; existing and potential public water supply lands; farmland; forestland; habitat for rare species or important wildlife; wildlife corridors and habitat strongholds as defined in RSA 207:1; lands for recreation; riverine, lake, estuarine, and ocean shorelands; scenic areas and viewsheds; and wetlands and associated uplands.

3 Stewardship; Land and Community Heritage Investment Program. Amend RSA 227-M:2, VIII to read as follows:

VIII. "Stewardship" means planning for and taking the necessary actions over the long term to successfully preserve and protect the natural, cultural, or historical value of a resource asset . Such actions include, as applicable, managing the resource asset in accordance with all legal obligations entered into under this chapter, performing regular maintenance and upkeep, providing for necessary monitoring, educating or informing those that might negatively impact upon the resource asset about the need and/or legal obligation to protect and preserve it, paying tax or in-lieu-of tax obligations, obtaining liability insurance, and securing sufficient levels of financial resources to carry out all such necessary actions.

4 Aquisition, Restoration, and Protection Criteria and Guidelines. Amend RSA 227-M:9, II(d) to read as follows:

(d) Extent to which project meets multiple objectives of the program (natural, historic, and cultural );

5 New Section; Funding. Amend RSA 227-M by inserting after section 17 the following new section:

227-M:18 Funding. Each July 1, 1/4 of a percent of the revenue from the New Hampshire real estate transfer tax under RSA 78-B:13 shall be transferred to the land and community heritage trust fund for the purposes of land and community heritage investment program land and resource acquisition. Whatever portion of this deposit to the land and community heritage investment program is not used by June 30 of the following year for the funding of concrete historic, natural, or cultural resource acquisition or promotion of affordable housing for residents shall lapse to the general fund.

6 New Paragraph; Tax on Transfer of Real Property; Land and Community Heritage Investment Program. Amend RSA 78-B:13 by inserting after paragraph III the following new paragraph:

IV. The commissioner shall determine the annual amount of revenue each fiscal year and deposit 1/4 of a percent of such annual revenue into the land and community heritage trust fund established in RSA 227-M:7 as provided in RSA 227-M:18.

7 Trust Fund Established; Administration. Amend RSA 227-M:7, III to read as follows:

III. no funds of any state agency shall be transferred to the trust fund without specific authorization from the general court. Federal funds accepted by the fiscal committee and governor and council for purposes similar to those of this chapter may be deposited in the trust fund.

8 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.

1 Purpose; Land and Community Heritage Investment Program. Amend RSA 227-M:1 to read as follows:

227-M:1 Purpose. The general court finds that in order to maintain New Hampshire's quality of life and economic vitality for its citizens, growth and development should be balanced with careful protection of the state's most important natural, cultural, and historical resources , and promotion of affordable housing for residents . Permanent protection of these resources, through acquisition of lands, buildings, and other physical assets, or interests in these assets, must be accomplished along with their planned long-term stewardship. The general court further recognizes the importance of public-private partnerships to achieve these ends. To protect and preserve New Hampshire's natural, cultural, and historical resources for this and future generations, the general court establishes in this chapter the New Hampshire land and community heritage investment program. The intent of the program is to conserve and preserve this state's most important natural, cultural, and historical resources and the promotion of affordable housing for residents through the acquisition of lands, and cultural and historical resources, or interests therein, of local, regional, and statewide significance, in partnership with the state's municipalities and the private sector, for the primary purposes of protecting and ensuring the perpetual contribution of these resources to the state's economy, environment, and overall quality of life.

2 Eligible Resource; Land and Community Heritage Investment Program. Amend RSA 227-M:2, V to read as follows:

V. "Eligible resource" means a natural, cultural, or historical resource including archaeological sites; historic buildings and structures which house cultural events and programs; historic properties including buildings and structures; historic and cultural lands and features; ecologically significant lands; existing and potential public water supply lands; farmland; forestland; habitat for rare species or important wildlife; wildlife corridors and habitat strongholds as defined in RSA 207:1; lands for recreation; riverine, lake, estuarine, and ocean shorelands; scenic areas and viewsheds; and wetlands and associated uplands. " Eligible resource" shall include land to be used for the promotion of affordable housing for residents.

3 Stewardship; Land and Community Heritage Investment Program. Amend RSA 227-M:2, VIII to read as follows:

VIII. "Stewardship" means planning for and taking the necessary actions over the long term to successfully preserve and protect the natural, cultural, or historical value of a resource asset or promote affordable housing for residents . Such actions include, as applicable, managing the resource asset in accordance with all legal obligations entered into under this chapter, performing regular maintenance and upkeep, providing for necessary monitoring, educating or informing those that might negatively impact upon the resource asset about the need and/or legal obligation to protect and preserve it, paying tax or in-lieu-of tax obligations, obtaining liability insurance, and securing sufficient levels of financial resources to carry out all such necessary actions.

4 Aquisition, Restoration, and Protection Criteria and Guidelines. Amend RSA 227-M:9, II(d) to read as follows:

(d) Extent to which project meets multiple objectives of the program (natural, historic, and cultural or promotion of affordable housing for residents );

5 New Section; Funding. Amend RSA 227-M by inserting after section 17 the following new section:

227-M:18 Funding. Each July 1, 1/4 of a percent of the revenue from the New Hampshire real estate transfer tax under RSA 78-B:13 shall be transferred to the land and community heritage trust fund for the purposes of land and community heritage investment program land and resource acquisition. Whatever portion of this deposit to the land and community heritage investment program is not used by June 30 of the following year for the funding of concrete historic, natural, or cultural resource acquisition or promotion of affordable housing for residents shall lapse to the general fund.

6 New Paragraph; Tax on Transfer of Real Property; Land and Community Heritage Investment Program. Amend RSA 78-B:13 by inserting after paragraph III the following new paragraph:

IV. The commissioner shall determine the annual amount of revenue each fiscal year and deposit 1/4 of a percent of such annual revenue into the land and community heritage trust fund established in RSA 227-M:7 as provided in RSA 227-M:18.

7 Trust Fund Established; Administration. Amend RSA 227-M:7, III to read as follows:

III. Notwithstanding the provisions ofRSA 227-M:18, no funds of any state agency shall be transferred to the trust fund without specific authorization from the general court. Federal funds accepted by the fiscal committee and governor and council for purposes similar to those of this chapter may be deposited in the trust fund.

8 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.