1 Findings. The general court finds:

I. There is an average 69 percent decline in global populations of mammals, fish, birds, reptiles, and amphibians since 1970 including the loss of nearly 3,000,000,000,000 birds in North America since 1970, and 1,000,000 animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction.

II. Invasive species and warming temperatures pose a threat to the biodiversity of New Hampshire.

III. Three-quarters of the land-based environment and roughly 66 percent of the ocean environment have been significantly altered. More than a third of the world's land surface and nearly 75 percent of freshwater resources are now devoted to crop or livestock production. Climate change and pollution worsen the impact of other stressors on nature and our well-being.

IV. The people of the state of New Hampshire, including future generations, deserve a clean, healthy, and biodiverse environment, including pure water, clean air, natural beauty, healthy ecosystems and a stable climate, necessary for the preservation of the natural, cultural, scenic and healthful qualities of the environment.

V. Ecosystem services of a biodiverse environment benefit New Hampshire citizens, so the state of New Hampshire recognizes the need to maintain biodiversity and to enhance its capacity to adapt to change and provide for the needs of future generations. New Hampshire recognizes the responsibility to develop and utilize these resources in a manner consistent with their conservation and biodiversity.

VI. The state, including each branch, agency, and political subdivision, recognizes their roles as trustees of the natural resources of the state, among them its waters, air, flora, fauna, climate, and public lands. The state recognizes the duty to conserve, protect, and maintain these resources for the benefit of all the people, including generations yet to come.

2 New Paragraph; Land and Community Heritage Investment Authority; Definitions; Biodiversity. Amend RSA 227-M:2 by inserting after paragraph I the following new paragraph:

I-a. "Biodiversity" means all of the species, including plants, bacteria, animals, and humans in a particular region, habitat, or ecosystem, that work together to maintain balance and support life. Biodiversity includes the variability among living organisms from all sources including terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part, including variation in genetic, phenotypic, phylogenetic, and functional attributes, as well as changes in abundance and distribution over time and space within and among species, biological communities, and ecosystems.

3 Definition; Easement Interests; Biodiversity Added. Amend RSA 227-M:2, IV to read as follows:

IV. "Easement interests" means conservation, historic preservation, or scenic easements, development rights, or any other similar protective interest in real property held in perpetuity, or a term easement that is held for a specific period of time and not in perpetuity as part of a farm viability program.

4 Definition; Eligible Resource. 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.

5 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

1 Findings. The general court finds:

I. There is an average 69 percent decline in global populations of mammals, fish, birds, reptiles, and amphibians since 1970 including the loss of nearly 3,000,000,000,000 birds in North America since 1970, and 1,000,000 animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction.

II. Invasive species and warming temperatures pose a threat to the biodiversity of New Hampshire.

III. Three-quarters of the land-based environment and roughly 66 percent of the ocean environment have been significantly altered. More than a third of the world's land surface and nearly 75 percent of freshwater resources are now devoted to crop or livestock production. Climate change and pollution worsen the impact of other stressors on nature and our well-being.

IV. The people of the state of New Hampshire, including future generations, deserve a clean, healthy, and biodiverse environment, including pure water, clean air, natural beauty, healthy ecosystems and a stable climate, necessary for the preservation of the natural, cultural, scenic and healthful qualities of the environment.

V. Ecosystem services of a biodiverse environment benefit New Hampshire citizens, so the state of New Hampshire recognizes the need to maintain biodiversity and to enhance its capacity to adapt to change and provide for the needs of future generations. New Hampshire recognizes the responsibility to develop and utilize these resources in a manner consistent with their conservation and biodiversity.

VI. The state, including each branch, agency, and political subdivision, recognizes their roles as trustees of the natural resources of the state, among them its waters, air, flora, fauna, climate, and public lands. The state recognizes the duty to conserve, protect, and maintain these resources for the benefit of all the people, including generations yet to come.

2 New Paragraph; Land and Community Heritage Investment Authority; Definitions; Biodiversity. Amend RSA 227-M:2 by inserting after paragraph I the following new paragraph:

I-a. "Biodiversity" means all of the species, including plants, bacteria, animals, and humans in a particular region, habitat, or ecosystem, that work together to maintain balance and support life. Biodiversity includes the variability among living organisms from all sources including terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part, including variation in genetic, phenotypic, phylogenetic, and functional attributes, as well as changes in abundance and distribution over time and space within and among species, biological communities, and ecosystems.

3 Definition; Easement Interests; Biodiversity Added. Amend RSA 227-M:2, IV to read as follows:

IV. "Easement interests" means conservation, including biodiversity, historic preservation, or scenic easements, development rights, or any other similar protective interest in real property held in perpetuity, or a term easement that is held for a specific period of time and not in perpetuity as part of a farm viability program.

4 Definition; Eligible Resource. 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; biodiverse areas; 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.

5 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.