Lynch requests federal home heating assistance

Gov. John Lynch recently sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt, urging him to provide New Hampshire with $3.8 million in federal home heating assistance.

So far, the state has received 75 percent of the approximately $15 million it is allocated for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. The remaining 25 percent has been withheld while Congress debates the overall appropriations. But, with heating oil prices rising by more than 30 percent in New Hampshire in the past year, Lynch believes the money should be released immediately.

“With skyrocketing energy costs, and winter well underway here in New Hampshire, our families are struggling to stay warm and safe,” he said in the letter to Leavitt. “I ask that you immediately release the $3.8 million held back from the state. Desperately needy families should not be left in the cold while the appropriations process works its way to final resolution.”

Last year, about 30,000 New Hampshire families received LIHEAP benefits, and even more families are expected to need help this winter. Typically, New Hampshire has received 90 percent of its allocated funding by early December. The $3.8 million Lynch has requested would be enough to help approximately 5,800 families get assistance.

U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, of Rochester, echoed the call for greater federal assistance on Monday during a press conference in Manchester. Shea-Porter and other members of the U.S. House of Representatives recently introduced the Keep America Warm Act, which would add $1 billion to LIHEAP funds for the coming fiscal year.

“We’ve been doing everything in our power in Congress to make sure that families get the heating assistance that they need, but we can’t do it alone—we need the (Bush) Administration to work with us,” Shea-Porter said.

President Bush has proposed cutting LIHEAP funds by $389 million.


protected land means clean drinking water

The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests is close to completing a land purchase that will ensure 780 acres of land in the Salmon Falls River watershed will be protected from development. Of that acreage, 343 acres are on the Jappe property, which will be owned and managed by the Forest Society. The rest of the acreage will remain in the hands of private landowners, but conservation easements will ensure that no development takes place.

Although the land is in Milton, its protection should matter to Seacoast residents because the water that flows through the Salmon Falls River eventually becomes drinking water for several communities, including Somersworth and parts of Portsmouth. By protecting the land around the river, the Seacoast is spared pollution that would inevitably result from development.

“At this point in time, it’s our last best chance to protect the forests in the upper reaches of the coastal watershed,” said Jack Savage, vice president of communication for the Forest Society. According to Savage, the Forest Society does not have enough resources to protect all the land available in the region. Therefore, it must be scientific in its decisions on what land to protect. The organization looks at the regional context of the land and what effect its protection would have on that region. It also considers what sort of forest resources the land offers, what it contributes to water quality, whether it includes important soils, how critical it is to the surrounding community and what kind of wildlife habitat it includes.

“It’s not just about protecting acres, it’s about protecting the right acres,” Savage said.

Funding for the pending land purchase has come from a variety of sources, central among them being the N.H. Land and Community Heritage Investment Program, which fronted a $325,000 grant. The town of Milton donated $25,000; Moose Mountains Regional Greenway gave $30,000; and the Forest Society raised roughly $31,000. The rest of the funding came from private landowners in the form of conservation easements. The Carl Siemon Family Charitable Trust donated an easement worth $343,445, and Charles Karcher donated an easement worth $36,792.

Once the deal is completed, the land will be open to the public for passive recreation, which includes hunting, fishing, kayaking, canoeing and hiking. The forest will be sustainably harvested for timber, but since the land was recently logged, no harvesting will take place for the next several years. 

According to Savage, the Forest Society’s strategic vision is to help conservation organizations and public entities across New Hampshire protect one million acres of land between 2001 and 2026. Right now, it’s reached 25 percent of that goal. On Dec. 6, the Forest Society announced that it had finalized a deal to protect more than 2,000 acres in Nottingham, known as Mulligan Forest.

The Forest Society is still raising money for the Salmon Falls River deal. According to Savage, another $39,000 is needed. He encourages anyone interested in donating to visit www.forestsociety.org.

forecast calls for a white Christmas

Predictions of snowfall and low temperatures throughout the remainder of the month should make for a white Christmas on Tuesday, Dec. 25. According to Beth Hall, state climatologist at the University of New Hampshire, there is a 75 percent probability of snow being on the ground on Christmas in southern New Hampshire, and a 17 percent chance of snow falling on Christmas day.

The probabilities are even higher in northern New Hampshire, where there is a 27 percent chance of snow falling and an 85 percent probability of snow being on the ground, according to Hall. On average, there are between five and seven inches of snow on the ground in New Hampshire on Dec. 25.

Models at the Climate Prediction Center show that New Hampshire is likely to experience above average temperatures this month, with close to average amounts of precipitation. But, it will still be cold enough to prevent snow from melting, with daytime temperatures in the 20s and 30s and nighttime temperatures even lower, according to the Northeast Regional Climate Center.

“That means any snow that we do get before Christmas day should last through the holiday,” Hall said in a release.
Although most New England residents enjoy seeing a cover of snow on Christmas morning, the Climate Center’s predictions could mean an ugly winter season.

“What this implies is that with normal precipitation amounts but above-normal temperatures, New Hampshire will probably see less snow than typical. The precipitation that does fall will either be as rain, or perhaps freezing rain. Without the slow melt-rate of snow, this could suggest an increased chance of flooding, especially if the ground freezes enough to discourage soil absorption,” said Hall, who teaches meteorology and climatology at UNH, as well as specialized courses on severe weather.

The highest December temperature ever recorded in New Hampshire was 76 degrees in Epping on Dec. 7, 1998. Berlin holds the record for the state’s coldest December day, with the temperature dropping to –44 degrees on Dec. 31, 1917. Mt. Washington holds the single-day snowfall record for December, with 37.5 inches falling on Dec. 15, 1968. More recently, 28 inches fell in Errol on Dec. 7, 2003. That same day, 19 inches fell in Newport.

new fire chief in Rye

After serving as interim chief for close to six months, William Sullivan has officially been hired as Rye’s fire chief. Sullivan had taken over as interim chief after former chief Rich O’Brien departed to take the helm at the Goffstown Fire Department. With 35 years of experience, including 12 years with Hampton Fire and Rescue, Sullivan seemed like a fitting replacement.

“We had a couple of people that were available on an interim basis. (Sullivan) interviewed really well and seemed to be what Rye was looking for, and we thought we’d see if things worked out,” said Rye town administrator Alan Gould.

Before joining the Rye force, Sullivan served as chief of fire departments in Claremont; Bedford, Mass.; and Hampton, where he also served as emergency management director. Because he retired from Hampton in 1999, he cannot work more than 32 hours per week without affecting his state pension.

Sullivan’s contract in Rye expires on Nov. 1, 2008, but he could sign on longer if things go well between now and then. He currently lives in Hampton with his wife, and his familiarity with coastal New Hampshire towns should serve him well in his new position. Gould noted that emergency departments in Hampton and Rye must deal with beach rescues and storm searches.
“He’s really familiar with the area and all the other departments,” Gould said. “Rye is geographically like a smaller Hampton, and we thought that that was a good reason for his appointment.”

Noting that O’Brien left the department in good shape, Sullivan said filling the former chief’s shoes has been relatively easy so far. He praised his staff of 10 full-time firefighters and 20 to 25 part-time, on-call firefighters, as well as the police department, with which he now shares a building. Sullivan does not expect Rye to present any unique challenges.

“It’s just another typical, traditional fire department with a lot of good people, a lot of good staff, and we’re all looking to do the same thing,” he said, adding that the goal of firefighters everywhere is to protect the communities they serve.

If things go well, Sullivan said, he might negotiate with the town about a contract extension next year.

“If the town was willing and I was willing and healthy and able, I’m sure it’s something we’ll discuss,” he said, jokingly likening himself to a free agent on the Red Sox.