Town of Boscawen 116 North Main Street, Boscawen, NH 03303 | Telephone: 603.753.9188 | Fax: 603.753.9183
Planning Board Members
Mark Varney Chair
Frederick Reagan Vice-Chair
Rhoda W. Hardy Member
Barbara Randall Member PUBLIC NOTICE
Gary Tillman Member
Roberta Witham Notice is hereby given in accordance with NH RSA 674:4, and 675:6 the Planning Board Member will hold a Public Hearing on Tuesday, January 5, 2021 after 6:30 PM, virtually on Lorrie J. Carey proposed Amendments to the Master Plan. The effects of the proposed amendments will Member Ex-Officio be to update the Energy Chapter, add an Economic Development Chapter and the Appendix: Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment with Co-Occurrence Mapping. Planning Board Alternates A full copy of the text of the proposed amendments to the Master Plan is available for review Loren J. Martin Alternate Member on the Town website @ townofboscawen.org or you can request a copy by email from [email protected] or call 603.753.9188 for a copy to be mailed out. Paul R. Dickey Alternate Member Ex-Officio
Planning & Community Per order of the Planning Board, Development Staff
Kellee Jo Easler Kellee Jo Easler Planning & Community Development Director Planning & Community Development Director Kearsten O’Brien Planning & Community Development Assistant
Crystal Tuttle Planning & Community Development Clerk
Mya Balch Planning & Community Development Office Clerk
The Town of Boscawen prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, marital or family status. Boscawen is an equal opportunity employer.
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21
Public Hearing Chapter 10 For Planning Board Adoption ENERGY 01-05-21
Energy and its impact on our CHAPTER VISION communities in areas such as municipal expenditures, economic development, land use planning, and transportation is Boscawen will continue to look for increasingly of interest to residents, opportunities to pursue energy efficiency that local officials and business owners. will generate reductions in municipal Reliable, affordable sources of energy expenditures and promote efficient are critically important to our quality of development that supports the concept of life and the stability of the economy. energy conservation, efficiency and renewable energy generation. This Energy Chapter presents a framework that can be used to support Town efforts in the areas of energy use, efficiencies and planning. The use of energy for electricity, heating, and transportation is tied to community planning, individual lifestyles, natural resource conservation, and environmental quality. The purpose of this Chapter is to provide some background on energy usage and issues and to identify potential recommendations and actions for energy conservation, energy efficiency, and efficient development. A summary of New Hampshire’s energy profile and sources provide context for discussion. Boscawen- Energy Terms in Chapter specific energy usage data is evaluated and energy-related actions in the community are listed. A series of recommendations and 1. Energy conservation means reducing the overall specific actions to help achieve the overall use of energy, particularly wasted energy (such as installing programmed thermostats that turn on vision of a resilient, efficient community the heating or cooling only when a building is include participation in programs, and new occupied). or revised operational practices, ordinances, and regulations. 2. Energy efficiency refers to the ability to produce the same output or benefit using less energy in the process (such as replacing an incandescent light
bulb with a fluorescent one). Anywhere energy is THE ENERGY LANDSCAPE used, there are opportunities to increase efficiency. Energy efficiency and renewable sources of energy continue to emerge as topics in 3. Renewable energy describes energy sources and discussions of energy usage and costs. Many systems that produce power from sources that are unlimited or can be cyclically renewed, such as view them as solutions to high energy costs solar, wind, geothermal, biomass (refuse and and supply concerns as well as a response to wood), or landfill gas. Non-renewable energy environmental sustainability. sources are those with a finite supply, such as oil, natural gas, or coal.
CNHRPC 1
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21
Energy is a broad topic, so this Energy Chapter focuses on the fossil fuel and renewable energy sources most likely to be used in Boscawen. Figure 10-1 illustrates the main energy types reviewed in detail.
Figure 10-1: Types of Energy Discussed in Chapter TYPES OF ENERGY DISCUSSED IN CHAPTER Renewable: Fossil: Geothermal Natural Gas Renewable: Hydropowe Fossil: r Petroleum
Renewable: Fossil: Coal Wind
Renewable: Renewable: Biomass Solar
STATEWIDE ENERGY USE OVERVIEW Some quick NH energy use facts from U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), July 2020:
• New Hampshire was the 11th lowest per capita consumer (41 out of 51) of energy among the states in 2019 (10th lowest in 2015). Only Maine among New England states ranked higher at 29th.
• The Seabrook nuclear power reactor, the largest in New England, provided 61% of New Hampshire’s 2019 net electricity generation (up from 56% in 2016).
• New Hampshire's Renewable Portfolio Standard requires 25.2% of electricity sold to come from renewable energy resources by 2025; 17% of New Hampshire's 2019 net electricity generation came from renewable energy (same as 2015).
• In 2019, natural gas accounted for about 20% or 1/5 of New Hampshire’s net electricity generation (down from 25% in 2016); the record high share for natural gas electricity generation was 37% in 2012.
• Nearly 44% or 2/5 of all New Hampshire households relied on fuel oil for primary heating fuel in 2018 (down from 1/2 in 2015), the second largest share of all states after Maine. Another 16% depended on propane (up from 14% in 2015).
• In 2019, 17% or more than 1/6, of the state’s electricity came from renewable sources including small-scale solar, biomass, and hydroelectric installations.
CNHRPC 2
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21
Who uses this energy are considered “end-use sectors”. Residential, commercial, industrial, and transportation sectors use energy for electricity as well as heating, cooling, and mechanical operations as illustrated in Figure 10-2. Since 2015, the residential proportion of energy consumption increased more than 2% while the transportation sector’s use declined by nearly 2%. The other sectors varied by less than 1% each over the 3 years.
Figure 10-2: New Hampshire Energy Consumption by End-Use Sector, 2018
Residential 31.5% 33.0% Commercial Industrial Transportation 13.0% 22.5%
Source: Energy Information Administration, 2018
FOSSIL FUEL ENERGY SOURCES This section discusses the major supply sources such as gas, petroleum, coal, renewables and biomass/wood. Smaller sources such as kerosene and propane or those not pertinent to Boscawen, like nuclear, are not covered.
Several significant energy utility changes occurred in the last few years. By mid-2018, Eversource completed the sale of its 9 hydroelectric facilities to Hull Street Energy. Eversource also sold its 3 New Hampshire fossil fuel plants power plants (Merrimack Station in Bow, Newington Station in Newington, and Schiller Station in Portsmouth) to Granite Shore Power based in Bow in early 2018.
Granite Shore Power bid into the forward capacity market. ISO-New England, which operates the regional electricity grid, intends to keep the 3 fossil fuel plants open for on-call service until at least May 2023. ISO-New England is paying more than $400 million between January 2018 and May 2023 to ensure the operational availability of these 3 fossil fuel plants and 2 small jet fuel plants in the North Country. These 5 facilities have a total generating capacity of over 1 gigawatt, regardless of whether the plants actively contribute to the electrical grid. This forward capacity ensures our energy needs are met while providing New Hampshire residents and businesses the time to consider alternate electricity sources.
CNHRPC 3
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21
FOSSIL: NATURAL GAS In New Hampshire, there are four natural gas pipelines covering more than 3,100 miles to deliver natural gas (LNG) to customers in 53 communities as of 2020. The most significant line for state residents and which runs through the Central NH Region is the Tennessee Gas Pipeline (TGP) owned by Kinder Morgan, bringing gas from Texas, Louisiana, and the Gulf of Mexico into New England. This pipeline crosses New York and Massachusetts. Several tributaries branch off the main line, one of which is near Lowell and heads north through communities along the Merrimack River and into the Lakes Region.
According to the EIA, in 2018 about 22% or 1/5 of New Hampshire households used natural gas for primary home heating. New Hampshire is the 4th lowest state in per capita natural gas consumption, in part because large areas of the state do not have the natural gas distribution infrastructure. Some of the Central NH Region’s communities, including parts of Boscawen and adjacent Concord, Canterbury, Northfield, and Franklin, are served by Liberty Utilities and contain the natural gas infrastructure for heating.
FOSSIL: PETROLEUM In 2018, 44% of all New Hampshire households relied on petroleum as their primary heating fuel, making the state and the overall region particularly vulnerable to fuel oil shortages and price spikes during the winter months.
The transportation sector consumed almost 2/3 of petroleum products in the state. State law requires the use of a biodiesel blend in state vehicles unless the blend costs more than all- petroleum fuel. New Hampshire also requires reformulated motor gasoline blended with ethanol in the populated areas of southeastern New Hampshire to limit ozone formation, although most gasoline sold within the state contains ethanol.
FOSSIL: COAL New Hampshire has two coal-fired generating stations, Schiller Station at Portsmouth and one in the Central NH Region, Merrimack Station at Bow. Both are owned and operated by Granite Shore Power after being sold by Eversource in early 2018.
Merrimack Station is the utility’s largest plant with the winter capacity to generate approximately 482 MW. Merrimack Station’s two coal-fired steam units serve as seasonal and peak demand resources, especially during the cold winter and hot summer months. Two kerosene-fueled combustion turbine units also comprise the facility. One unit of the plant was built in 1960; the other in 1968. In response to a 2006 state law (RSA 125-O), Public Service of New Hampshire (later Eversource) installed a scrubber system by 2011 reported to capture 85% of the mercury from the coal and reduce sulfur dioxide emissions by more than 95%. The cost of the scrubber system increased from an estimate cost of $250 million in 2006 to $418 million. The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) required Eversource absorb the costs instead of passing costs on to ratepayers.
CNHRPC 4
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21
The Schiller Station boilers can burn either coal or oil (100 mW), and one unit was converted in 2006 to burn woody biomass for 55 mW capacity. The 155 mW plant also operates seasonally or during peak demand.
In 2016, 2017, and 2019, New Hampshire generated more of the state’s electricity from wind than from coal. Natural gas-fired (43%), all renewables (46%), and nuclear (10%) comprise the State’s primary utility generation as of April 2020 according to the EIA. Figure 10-3 illustrates the proportion of electricity generated from fossil and renewable sources in thousands of mWh for June 2020.
Figure 10-3: Proportion of Electricity Generation in New Hampshire
0% Nuclear
0% Natural Gas-Fired 9% 9% Nonhydroelectric Renewables (Solar, Wind, Biomass, 53% Geothermal) Hydroelectric 29%
Coal-Fired
Petroleum-Fired
Source: US Energy Information Administration for Month of June 2020
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, in 2019 17% of New Hampshire’s net electricity generation came from renewable resources. Hydroelectric facilities (129k mW) produced almost half of that renewable power, followed by biomass (77k mW) and large wind/solar/geothermal (50k mW) facilities generating most of the rest. Small scale solar photovoltaic PV (15k mW) rounded out the 2019 renewable energy production in the state. In 2015, biomass had been the predominant renewable energy source.
RENEWABLE: SOLAR Solar technologies have proven to be successful in New Hampshire and are increasingly a viable energy option both commercially and residentially. As technologies continue to improve and costs lower, concentrated solar thermal power (CSP) collectors and photovoltaic (PV) panels are becoming more competitive in the marketplace.
New Hampshire contributes nearly 120 mW of energy to the nation’s total solar capacity, ranking a low 39th place among states. The current state’s capacity can generate enough energy
CNHRPC 5
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21 to power nearly 19,500 homes. The solar industry provides for over 1,000 jobs in the state according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).
As of late 2020, a global solar panel glass shortage has resulted in the increase of panel cost by as much as 70%. According to Bloomberg, glass demand has been rising within the solar industry because of the increasing prominence of bifacial panels, which coat both the top and bottom with glass, allowing for a slight uptick in power generation from sunlight reflected off the ground. Mover 2/3 of the major solar panel manufacturers are located in China for lower production costs, which after tariffs and competition undercutting have resulted in manufacturing delays and backlogs.
NH Solar Energy Solar installation has continued to soar in New Hampshire’s communities. Resources are available for municipalities and homebuilders alike. For towns, the NH OSI document NH Residential Rooftop Solar PV Permitting, Zoning and Interconnection Guide January 2015 provides good guidelines for regulating small scale residential solar installations. For homeowners, a good source of information on solar energy for homes can be found in the US Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy online resource Homeowner’s Guide to Going Solar. Figure 10-4 displays the trend of solar installations in the state between 2013 and 2019.
Figure 10-4: NH Annual Solar Installations mW Capacity, 2013-2019
Source: https://www.seia.org/state-solar-policy/new-hampshire-solar, Sep 2020
Local Municipal Solar Installations Municipal solar arrays are becoming more popular, especially with the current financial incentives and support from solar installers. Municipal arrays fall into the non-residential category of Figure 10-4 above, which illustrates an installation boom in 2016 and a steady decline to 2019. There are multiple ways of financing the cost of arrays as summarized in the recent Local Municipal Solar Success Stories sidebar. Most municipal systems have online dashboards of live solar statistics accessible to the public.
CNHRPC 6
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21
RENEWABLE: BIOMASS Local Municipal Solar Success Stories Biomass as renewable energy source can encompass a Dunbarton Municipal Array – Feb 2020 number of products including Two solar arrays were installed (Granite State Solar) at the Dunbarton clean wood, clean wood Transfer Station. Dunbarton pays its current electric rate to the installer products, wood waste, solid for 6 years, then the Town can buy the array for $50,000 minus the excess energy rate generated and sold to the grid, which is placed into a waste and landfill methane. capital reserve fund to offset the purchase. The Town Energy Committee According to the U.S. Energy website provides news, education, and resources to locals seeking Information Administration information about renewable energy.
(US EIA), about 1 in 15 homes Webster Municipal Solar Array - 2019 in New Hampshire depend on The Town installed (Granite State Solar) a solar array of “north rows” wood products as a primary and “south rows” at the Webster Elementary School, of 4,800 kW heat source as of 2019. New capacity. A 7-year bond of $115,000 was approved at Town meeting. The array produces nearly all of the municipal electrical demand but the Hampshire forests occupy Energy Committee is working to address distribution and service 81% of the state, according to charges. Other energy efficiency improvements are being undertaken, the NH Division of Forests and such as LED lighting. At least double the value of the initial system is Lands. Biomass products such projected by the system’s lifetime. as wood pellets and chips, Keene Municipal Solar Array - 2019 logwood and briquettes, are an Installed on the roofs of Keene’s police and public works departments important part of the state’s are 2,010 solar panels in a 643 kW solar array, saving an estimated economy and can keep fuel $225,000 over 10 years of use. The installer (ReVision Energy) owns the array and the Town buys the electricity at a rate lower than the cost of dollars in the local economy. the grid electricity. In the summer, the array would power both New Hampshire was the first departments and enable excess electricity sold to the grid while in state in the nation to create winter, purchase from an electric supplier may be needed. incentive provisions for Milford Solar Farm - 2019 thermal renewable systems In 2019, town meeting approved a 120-acre solar facility. With a that are equivalent in value to capacity of 20 mW, the electricity will be sold to the grid. The installer those for renewable electric (Granite Apollo) and Town’s 25-year lease agreement provides the Town with $1,000 per acre of land with increases every 5 years. Over the technologies. term, the Town could see $3.5 million in lease revenue plus tax revenue. The electricity generated will be sold to the grid and is sufficient to In 2018 and 2019 biomass power 4,500 homes. supplied the state’s largest Newfields Municipal Solar Array – 2019 renewable energy source A 76 kW solar array of 216 panels provides enough electricity to power according to the US EIA. In the town’s waste water treatment facility. Installed at no cost to the 2018, 256 mW of electricity Town, Newfields instead entered into a power purchase agreement capacity was available from providing appreciable savings to the Town’s electric costs, leaving ownership to the installer (ReVision Energy) with an option to purchase the 11 commercial biomass after 7 years. The anticipated savings to the Town is over $500,000 over power plants throughout New the lifetime of the array. Hampshire, the largest of which is in Berlin (75 mW). Warner Municipal PV Solar & Village Water Dist Solar Array 2016-17 The Town of Warner has two municipal solar projects. The Warner However, as of 2020, only 1 Village Water District utilizes a 114 kW capacity solar electric system commercial biomass power installed in June 2016. Its first year saw an annual net savings of nearly plant was operating full-time $3,000. To offset the electrical usage of the Department of Public Works and one plant was operating and the Transfer Station, the Town approved the installation of a solar PV system at the facilities in 2017. The system has a capacity of 113 kW. part-time during peak periods.
CNHRPC 7
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21
The industry collapsed because the legislative bills were vetoed during the 2019 and 2020 legislative season. The NH Timberland Owners Association is a source for the latest on biomass and the New Hampshire timber industry.
RENEWABLE: WIND POWER New Hampshire does not have the wind power capacity or potential of other states, although there have been four utility-scale wind projects approved by the state’s Site Evaluation Committee (SEC): Antrim Wind Farm 2020 (29 mW), Lempster Mountain 2008 (24 mW), Granite Wind in Dixville 2011 (99 mW), Groton Wind near Plymouth (48 mW) 2012, and Jerisco Wind near Berlin 2016 (14mW).
Locally, wind power is considered controversial because of the height of the facilities and their siting which can obstruct traditional viewscapes. While the “wind farm” development is an intensive undertaking, there have been advances in in community scale wind turbine technology and the interest continues, albeit on a limited scale when compared to other renewables such as solar and biomass. While Boscawen has a small wind systems ordinance to accommodate residential and small-scale use, no applications have been received to date.
RENEWABLE: HYDROPOWER Hydropower, or hydroelectric power, is considered to be the most common and least expensive source of renewable electricity in the United States today. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (US EIA), historically, all renewable electricity generated in the United States came from hydropower resources. In NH, close to 30% of renewable electricity is provided by hydropower.
Hydropower technologies use flowing water to create energy that can be captured and converted into electricity. The state and Central NH Region have a long history of hydropower.
Below is an alphabetical list of the current hydroelectric facilities operating in the Central NH Region which can together generate up to 34.9 mW of renewable energy:
• China Mill Hydro (in Allenstown) – Located on the Suncook River close to the Merrimack River confluence, operated by New Hampshire Hydro Associates (1.7 mW). • EHC West Hopkinton (in Hopkinton) - along the Contoocook River, operated by Green Mountain Power Corporation (1 mW). • Garvin Falls (in Bow) – Located on the Merrimack River, operated by Central Rivers Power NH, LLC (12.4 mW). • Hillsboro Hosiery (in Hillsborough) – Located along the Contoocook River, operated by Silverstreet Hydro (1.2 mW). • Jackman Hydro (in Hillsborough) – Located on the North Branch of Contoocook River, operated by Silverstreet Hydro (3.6 mW). • Pembroke Hydro (In Suncook/Pembroke) – Located above the China Mill Hydro at the Suncook River bridge over Main Street, operated by Eagle Creek RE LLC (2.7 mW).
CNHRPC 8
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21
• Penacook Upper Falls Hydro (in Penacook/Boscawen) - Upper Falls located on the Contoocook River west of Crescent Street, operated by Briar Hydro Associates (3.4 mW). • Penacook Lower Falls Hydro (in Boscawen) – Lower Falls located on the Contoocook River, east of Tremont Street and closest to the confluence with the Merrimack River, operated by Briar Hydro Associates (4.6 mW). • Rolfe Canal Hydro (in Penacook) – Located upstream of Penacook Falls along the Contoocook River, operated by Briar Hydro Associates (4.3 mW).
RENEWABLE: GEOTHERMAL The earth absorbs nearly half of the sun’s energy. The use of geoexchange lowers electricity demand by 1kW per 1 ton of capacity. In New Hampshire, geothermal heating and cooling energy uses the more readily accessible soils where the temperature of the ground is 50 to 55oF at 4 or more feet below the surface, below the frostline. This utilization of energy in the ground is more correctly termed geothermal heat pump system, ground source heating or "geoexchange.” There are two main components, the heat pump and the circulation system that is drawing the heat from the ground. There are other hybrid type systems that use several different geothermal resources that are discussed at the US Department of Energy’s website. In New Hampshire, geothermal systems are regulated by the Department of Environmental Services (DES) and must be registered with the Underground Injection Control program.
An example of a large and successful geoexchange project is the Merrimack County Nursing Home (MCNH) in Boscawen that provides heating and cooling using 16 geothermal wells. This nursing facility has a capacity of about 300 residents, hosts over 400 staff, and is roughly 235,000 square feet in size. Over 325 water-to-air heat pumps generate 615 tons of capacity. The facility’s location on an aquifer and the water’s downhill flow to the Merrimack River yielded an efficient geothermal facility after significant renovations in 2008.
BOSCAWEN’S ENERGY PROFILE Many of the Central NH Region’s communities are served by a combination of different utility providers. As of August 2020, Boscawen receives service from a combination of Unitil (1,772 customers) and Eversource (18 customers) electric providers. Boscawen has utility gas service provided by Liberty Utilities for some residential and business customers.
Data on Boscawen’s heating sources in Table 10-1 and Figure 10-2 displays a typical Northeast profile of the heavy reliance on fuel oil for heating. Boscawen has a higher reliance on residential fuel oil (47%) than the state (44%) and Merrimack County (38%) averages. Residential piped natural gas has declined by 3% while use of bottled/tank/LP gas and fuel oil have risen by about 2% each since 2016.
CNHRPC 9
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21
Table 10-5: ACS Boscawen (Residential) House Heating Fuel, by Type House Heating Fuel 2012- 2014- Change 2016 2018 over time (Natural) Utility Gas 17.9% 14.8% -3.1% Bottled, Tank, or LP Gas 11.8% 13.6% +1.8% Electricity 13.5% 12.8% -0.7% Fuel Oil, Kerosene, etc. 45.4% 47.2% +1.8% Wood 10.3% 9.7% -0.6% Coal or Coke 0.0% 0.0% -- Solar Energy 0.0% 0.0% -- All Other Fuels 1.0% 1.9% +0.9% Source: 2012-2016 & 2014-2018 American Community Survey Table DP04
Figure 10-6: 2014-2018 ACS Boscawen (Residential) House Heating Fuel, by Type 47.2% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 14.8% 13.6% 12.8% 20.0% 9.7% 10.0% 0.0% 0.0% 1.9% 0.0%
Source: 2014-2018 American Community Survey Table DP04
TOWN FACILITY ENERGY USAGE Cataloging municipal energy use over time can enable the first step toward future energy reduction efforts. Boscawen started the process of benchmarking its energy use by completing a specialized inventory of lighting, electrical, and heating fuel usage for several key municipal facilities in 2010, undertaken by Peregrine Energy Group. The data included a snapshot of a twelve-month period in 2010 that demonstrated annual municipal energy demand and the cost for energy expended by the Town for these facilities. The results are included in their report and some key figures will be compared in this section with 2019 data.
Boscawen pays Unitil for electricity delivery charges to Town facilities and the Streetlight supply charges. Unitil owns the infrastructure. Because the Town can choose its own energy supplier, they contracted with Sprague in 2020 (formerly with Agera 2015-2019) to supply the electricity. Boscawen has found this system to be more cost effective and energy efficient. The Town has attempted to work with Unitil to convert the expensive sodium vapor street bulbs to LED lighting, but Unitil is not yet open to the idea. Presently, Boscawen pays around $20,000 annually for streetlights, and if the existing lights were switched to LED, the anticipated annual cost to the Town would be around $4,000. The Town is an active member of Clean Energy NH and is working to hold discussions regarding the advantages of forming a regional coalition to reduce the group’s municipal electrical costs through replacement of street bulbs to LED.
CNHRPC 10
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21
In 2019, more recent energy data was compiled for a twelve-month period or was estimated based on statements for the Energy Chapter update. The resulting information enables a basic analysis of energy trends at Town facilities but is not fully comparable to the 2010 baseline assessment. Table 10-7 displays approximate annual energy costs for individual Town facilities.
Table 10-7: Annual Municipal Energy Cost for Targeted Facilities, 2019 Facility 2019 2019 Natural 2019 2019 Total Sq. Ft. Cost Electricity Gas Cost Heat Fuel Energy per Sq. Cost TOTAL TOTAL Oil or Facility Ft. (Delivery + (Delivery + Propane Cost Supply) Supply) Cost Municipal Complex $17,028 $13,872 --- $30,900 13,974 $2.21 116 N Main St Library (North Main & $1,720 N/A (Not incl --- $1,720 9,528 $0.18 Jackson) w/Munic.) Street Lights $19,970 ------$19,970 N/A N/A (Town-wide) Fire Station $3,235 --- $4,543 $7,778 6,237 $1.25 15 High St Public Works Garage $1,699 --- $4,880 $6,580 1,632 $4.03 13 Woodbury Ln Town Hall $1,845 --- $3,286 $5,131 4,600 $1.12 12/14 High St Parks & Recreation $1,682 ------$1,682 1,650 $1.02 13 Depot St 1913 Library $533 --- $1,429 $1,962 3,160 $0.62 248 King St Torrent Building $630 $1,630 --- $2,260 1,224 $1.85 73 N Main St Transfer Station $3,239 --- N/A $3,239 1,020 $3.18 36 Marlboro Rd Sewer Pumping Station $1,302 ------$1,302 63 $20.67 Merrimack St TOTAL $52,883 $15,502 $14,138 $82,524 --- $ Source: Compilation of Unitil, Liberty Gas, Agera, Huckleberry Utility Statements Service Periods for 2019
Tables 10-7 and 10-8 illustrate the available data for this 12-month benchmark period of the utility service months during 2019. Some utility statements, and therefore facility energy costs, were not available for this approximation. Comparing one facility against another is not the purpose of this Chapter nor is it possible with the limited evaluation conducted. A full Energy Action Plan is recommended to understand the ramifications of utility data trends and facility energy efficiency. Calculating the available 2019 utility bills indicated the Town spent over $86,000 for heating fuel, power, and light to run the displayed listed buildings and facilities.
CNHRPC 11
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21
Table 10-8 displays energy usage by facility in kilowatt hours (kWh) or therms when available on the utility statements. Over 218,000 kWh were expended to power municipal facilities during this year. Over 5,100 therms were used to heat the Municipal Complex and Torrent Building using natural gas.
Table 10-8: Annual Municipal Energy Use for Targeted Facilities, 2019 2019 2019 Heat Facility Electric kWh Therms AGERA LIBERTY Municipal Complex (116 N Main St) 109,320 4,536 Library (North Main & Jackson) 19,196 --- Street Lights (Town-wide) 39,536 --- Fire Station (15 High St) 17,225 --- Public Works Garage (13 Woodbury Ln) 6,134 --- Town Hall (14 High St) 3,877 --- Parks & Recreation (13 Depot St)* 4,975 --- 1913 Library (248 King St) 423 --- Torrent Building (73 N Main St) 857 576 Transfer Station (36 Marlboro Rd) 11,295 --- Sewer Pumping Station (Merrimack Street) 5,394 --- TOTALS 218,232 5,112 * Unitil kWh used for 2019 Parks & Rec and Streetlights; Agera and Liberty Statements
As municipal facilities are maintained, upgraded, or expanded, energy improvements should be considered and total life cycle costs (ongoing operational costs) associated with more efficient systems should be analyzed. Often, new and very efficient systems or equipment may cost somewhat more up front, but savings are paid back over time with the lower energy use associated with their operation.
CNHRPC 12
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21
Compared with Figure 10-9: Facility Electrical Usage Comparison 2010 & 2019 in kWh the 2010 electricity usage 2010 Electricity Use kWh 2019 Electricity Use kWh analyzed in the 222,282 218,232 2018 Energy TOTALS Chapter, Figure Torrent Building (73 N Main St) 10-9 displays 1913 Library (248 King St) the Town’s Parks & Recreation (13 Depot St) facility Town Hall (14 High St) electricity usage Sewer Pumping Station (Merrimack Street) in kilowatt hour Transfer Station (36 Marlboro Rd) (kWh) for 2019, Public Works (Woodbury Lane) about 218,000 Fire Station (15 High St) kWh. The Street Lights facilities Library (North Main & Jackson) studied appear Municipal Building (Town Offices, Police… to have similar 0 100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000 electric usage over these two Source: Compiled by CNHRPC benchmark years, with some data 2010 unavailable (Torrent, 1913 Library, Parks and Rec, Town Hall). If these four facilities’ energy usage were tallied in 2010, the total 222,000 kWh would be slightly higher. A future bi-annual comparison will help ensure the Town’s electric usage remains constant or is reduced as facilities are added and become more energy efficient.
ALTERNATIVE ENERGY IN BOSCAWEN Renewable solar energy is being considered by Boscawen residences and businesses as a viable method to power homes, businesses, and tax-exempt buildings. The Town issued 16 building permits for solar panels between 2016 to August 2020 as indicated in Table 10-10. As the technology continues to become more affordable and concerns about the use of fossil fuels grow, solar power should become an easily accessible energy source in Boscawen.
Table 10-10: Building Permits Issued for Solar Panels, 2016-2020 Solar Permits by Building Type 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020* On Residential Buildings 5 5 1 2 1 On Commercial/Industrial Buildings 0 0 1 0 0 On Tax Exempt Buildings 0 0 0 0 1 On Vacant Land 0 0 0 0 0 TOTAL 5 5 2 2 2 *2020 data to 08-04-20, may increase through 12-31-20 Source: Town of Boscawen Building Permit Files
Some municipalities in the Central NH Region have municipal or school solar arrays that power local town facilities and feed excess power back into the grid. These are described in detail in the Solar section of this Chapter.
CNHRPC 13
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21
Hydroelectric energy at the Penacook Lower Falls dam and Penacook Upper Falls dams and their accompanying properties is tax exempt and provides a unique opportunity for encouraging alternative energy in lieu of traditional tax payments. The 2020 assessed valuation of the Lower Falls dam (78% of the Town’s hydroelectric) is $3,995,300 while the Upper Falls Dam (22% of Boscawen’s hydroelectric) is $1,126,900. Briar Hydro has a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement with the Town over the 5-year period of 2018-2022. Table 10-11 displays the gross revenue of hydroelectric to date versus the collected PILOT tax.
Table 10-11: Briar Hydro Energy PILOT Payments, 2018-2020* Penacook Upper Falls & Gross Revenue PILOT Due to Town Lower Falls Hydroelectric (Hydroelectric) 2018 $3,352,000 $167,681 2019 $2,115,516 $106,095 2020 TBD $101,850* 2021 TBD $101,850* 2022 TBD $101,850* TOTAL $5,467,516 $579,326 Source: Town of Boscawen Building Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) Agreement, Oct 2018; * Minimum of $101,850 annual payments The Town is paid the minimum annual payment of $101,850 across two payments which may be increased during times of precipitation according to the PILOT formula.
STATE PLANNING AND ENERGY POLICY Energy planning continues to receive increasing attention at the policy level due to rising energy costs and the relationship between energy use, economic activity, and environmental impacts. The principles of “sustainability” support energy conservation and efficiency through thoughtful community design. Compact development patterns, open space preservation, and multi-modal transportation options are core elements which contribute to energy-conscious development while preserving traditional rural character.
New Hampshire’s communities are experiencing the demographic trends of an aging population and being able to age in place is of great interest to residents. Energy conservation has the added benefit of supporting many of the accessibility needs of an aging population.
CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 2009 According to the New Hampshire Climate Action Plan 2009, the most significant reductions in both emissions and costs will come from substantially increasing energy efficiency in all sectors of our economy, continuing to increase sources of renewable energy, and designing our communities to reduce our reliance on automobiles for transportation. As stated in the Plan, a response to climate change and our economic future are tied to how we produce our energy and how much energy we use.
CNHRPC 14
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21
The Plan calls for long-term reductions in the state’s greenhouse gas emissions of 80% below 1990 levels by 2050, with an interim goal to reduce emissions by 20% below 1990 levels by 2025. Over five dozen specific recommendations were developed to achieve that goal. They include direct energy savings in buildings, transportation, and electricity generation; natural resource protection; supporting regional initiatives; public education and workforce training; and adaptation to existing and potential climate impacts.
The 2009 Plan was the first step. No legislation has been enacted to ensure the reduction goals are met and no new updates to the Plan were undertaken as of 2020.
NET METERING 2019 The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) allows net metering which permits homeowners to receive credit for on-site electricity generation such as from a solar photovoltaic (PV) or wind turbine installation when the generation exceeds household or business consumption. This is accomplished by use of an electric meter that can run both forward and backward so that the host is billed only for the net reading on the meter. The PUC’s 2018 data reports nearly 8,000 net metered solar PV Group Net Metering facilities were installed to date, as distributed through Eversource (5,800), Liberty Utilities (<500), Allowed by the PUC, this is a type of NH Electric Cooperative (900) and Unitil (800). The metering that allows a group of total installed capacity is over 77 mW of electric customers to combine meters as a generation. In 2012, the number of facilities installed single billing and join together to offset to date was 1,000, a whopping eight-fold increase their electric bill as a new metered system. While it works similar to net over a six-year period. metering, group metering allows one generating source to share the Net metering rules have changed over the years. generation with a group of customers During the 2019 legislative session alone, nearly 10 within the same utility service area. bills were presented to clarify net metering and The benefit of group net metering is that one resident, who may have the energy systems. Presently, power generation is ideal location for solar, can now share limited for residential and small commercial the renewable energy and costs, with customers to a peak capacity of 100 kW while larger others. generation facilities are permitted a peak capacity of 1,000 kW.
NH BUILDING ENERGY CODE 2015 The New Hampshire State Building Code for residential and commercial buildings includes the September 2019 adoption of the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), as amended by the legislature. A part of the overall building code, the energy code establishes minimum requirements for energy efficient design and construction for both new and renovated buildings. By establishing the minimum requirements, the codes set the baseline for energy efficiency in new construction and major renovations to which further design upgrades and strategies may be compared. A structure built to the 2009 energy code requirements will be 14% more energy efficient than one built to the 2006 code. Likewise, the 2012 code represents a 30% improvement in energy performance over the 2006 code. With weakening
CNHRPC 15
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21
2019 legislative amendments (thermal envelope depiction, wall insulation, air leakage testing, duct leakage testing, and mechanical ventilation), there is minimal advancement in the 2015 code. These represent incremental steps toward the goal of net zero buildings by 2030. Updates every three years are planned, but their adoption by the state takes time. The Town of Durham is the only community to have adopted stricter energy codes in New Hampshire.
STATE ENERGY LEGISLATION -ONGOING The NH Revised Statutes Annotated (RSAs) provide a regular source of support for renewable energy, energy guidelines, and planning and zoning law for communities. The Public Utilities Commission has sets of rules each energy system must follow. Listed in this section are some of the state and local energy incentives available to assist with the municipal and residential renewable energy. Annual legislative sessions propose new laws in support of renewable energy and related topics. Energy legislation has become a regular topic of introduction and amendment Municipalities possess legal powers to regulate energy, including the following:
• RSA 72:61-72 allows municipalities to offer property tax exemptions on solar, wind, and wood heating energy systems, including solar hot water, solar photovoltaic, wind turbine, or central wood heating systems (not individual woodstoves). Nearly all municipalities in NH offer at least one exemptions, with 17 of the Central NH Region’s 20 communities adopting renewable energy exemptions as of 2016. Communities can exempt differing amounts, often a percentage of the assessed value, installation cost, or equipment cost.
• RSA 674:17, I(j) states that one of the primary purposes of zoning ordinances adopted by municipalities is “To encourage the installation and use of solar, wind, or other renewable energy systems and to protect access to energy sources.”
These statutes are applied locally in the Central NH region. Most communities provide renewable energy tax exemptions and regulate or permit solar, wind, or wood (biomass) facilities as displayed in Table 10-12.
Table 10-12: Renewable Energy Tax Exemptions (√) and Regulation or Permitting (#) in the CNHRPC Region CNHRPC Municipality SOLAR WIND WOOD Allenstown √ # # Boscawen √* # √ # √ # *Valid for 10 years from 2011 Bow √ # # √ Bradford √ # √ Canterbury √ $ Chichester √ $ √ Concord # # Deering √ # # Dunbarton # # Epsom √ # √ # Henniker √ # √ √ Hillsborough √ # √ # √ #
CNHRPC 16
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21
Table 10-12: Renewable Energy Tax Exemptions (√) and Regulation or Permitting (#) in the CNHRPC Region CNHRPC Municipality SOLAR WIND WOOD Hopkinton √ # # Loudon # Pembroke √ # Pittsfield √ # Salisbury √ # # Sutton √ # √ # Warner √ # Webster √ # Source: NH Office of Strategic Initiatives, 2016
LOCAL ENERGY PLANNING IN BOSCAWEN Many municipalities in New Hampshire, including Boscawen, have taken action to reduce energy consumption, improve energy efficiency, and investigate renewable energy sources. New Hampshire RSA 674:2 III (n) was adopted in 2008, authorizing municipalities to incorporate an energy section into their master plan that “includes an analysis of energy and fuel resources, needs, scarcities, costs, and problems affecting the municipality and a statement of policy on the conservation of energy.” The following is a list of some of the energy planning projects undertaken in Boscawen since 2007:
• 2007: In the Town Meeting warrant article, the Town of Boscawen adopted the New Hampshire Climate Change Resolution, along with 163 other communities across the state. The resolution supports efforts to address the issue of climate change, including the establishment of a program to require reductions in US greenhouse gas emissions and the creation of a national research initiative to develop sustainable energy technologies.
• 2009: Town Meeting approved the Small Wind Energy Systems Zoning Ordinance which guides the construction, siting, and permitting of non-residential wind systems for renewable electricity generation.
• 2010: Town Meeting adopted the Outdoor Lighting Ordinance, known as “dark skies” and contains performance standards limiting the brightness of outdoor lighting fixtures and requiring energy efficient lamps
• 2011: Boscawen also participated in several energy projects that became available from federal funding through the Office of Energy and Planning (OEP), now the Office of Strategic Initiatives (OSI). These projects included energy assessments of municipal buildings and a series of recommendations for energy efficiency improvements.
• 2011: Boscawen voters adopted the provisions of NH RSA 72:61–72:72 providing a tax exemption from the assessed value for properties equipped with solar, wind powered, or wood heating energy systems for 10 years.
CNHRPC 17
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21
• 2011-Present: Town officials began discussions in 2011 with a group of four neighboring towns on regional joint purchasing alternatives and the potential for sharing services. One potential outcome of this initiative may be a joint energy purchase. By aggregating several municipalities’ demand, each Town could realize significant cost savings. While such an agreement would not reduce energy use or increase efficiency, it is one strategy for reducing Boscawen’s energy costs in the short term.
• The expansion of sidewalks along King Street & North Main Street and the Northern Rail Trail have significantly increased pedestrian usage. Still to pursue is a 6/10 mile of Pan Am track available for connection to the Rail Trail. Reduction of vehicle and fuel usage result in energy savings.
• Boscawen is a member of Clean Energy NH, a coalition of communities. Membership means the group can carry energy discussion more effectively than an individual town. This may assist with future discussions with Unitil for the provision of LED lighting fixtures in development projects.
• 2015: The Board of Selectmen contracted with energy supplier Agera to lower municipal electricity costs instead of continuing to utilize Unitil for supply. Unitil continues to deliver electricity as they own the infrastructure. • 2018: The Planning Board adopted its first Energy Chapter of the Master Plan.
• 2018-Present: Interest in a potential, privately owned solar array on North Main Street. In an effort led by the property owner, the parcel seems to be a good property for development based on its location. Initial discussions with the Town have included installers or potential tenant to site an array on the property, with an option to sell. Discussion included the potential for the array to help offset school or municipal electric use. Guidance in the form of an ordinance, conditional use permit for larger arrays, and the establishment of an Energy Committee will enable Boscawen to ensure appropriate regulation is in place as interest in solar energy grows.
• 2020: Town Meeting passed a single Capital Reserve Fund for Municipal Buildings Repairs and Improvement to replace the individual CRFs of town buildings, enabling faster are more effective building improvement and repair.
• 2020: The Planning Board updated the Energy Chapter in preparation for a Renewable Energy Systems Ordinance to be introduced at Town Meeting in 2021.
MUNICIPAL FACILITY ENERGY ACTIONS Since the 2003 Master Plan, the Town of Boscawen has taken steps to conserve energy and increase efficiency at municipal facilities. A brief building by building synopsis of energy improvements are noted below.
CNHRPC 18
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21
Municipal Office Complex at 116 North Main Street (Town Offices, Police Dept, Library) • Several municipal functions were combined and moved to the Municipal Building in 2003 and 2006 to centralize operations. Today, the Town Clerk, Tax Collector, Administrator, Land Use Planning, Finance, Police, and the Town Library. The former school building was thoroughly renovated with new HVAC systems, attic insulation, and new windows installed. Programmable thermostats have been installed. Lighting has been upgraded to more efficient fixtures in recent years through Unitil’s retrofit program and there is an active program to continue high efficiency light replacement. The Library portion of the building underwent a renovation in 2006, when high efficiency lighting and HVAC systems were installed.
• In 2019, the conversion of lighting in the Municipal Office Complex to LED was completed. The Town is looking at replacing HVAC systems to high efficiency and increase filtration at the Municipal Complex. Proposals in progress Sep 2020, may be completed in phases for finish by 2024.
Fire Station at 15 High Street • As of September 2020, the Town, in concert with the new Fire Chief, is in the process of hiring an engineer to design an improvement to the Fire Station, Goals include a larger facility with more capabilities, efficient design, with upgraded and energy efficient systems will be upgraded. The Fire Station will be upgraded prior to the Public Works facility. The Fire Station is run by a volunteer crew and is used minimally.
Torrent Building at 73 North Main Street • The building is not actively used by the Town but is utilized for storage purposes. There are no plans or discussions for repairs, only maintenance. The Penacook Rescue Squad, a separate entity from the Town, provides emergency medical services out of the other section of the Torrent building which they are responsible for maintaining.
Public Works Building at 13 Woodbury Lane • The Boscawen DPW burns waste oil collected from Town vehicles and residents, reducing operating costs and saving the Town from having to dispose of a waste product. Evaluating the system’s current efficiency and planning for replacement is an important strategy.
• After the Fire Station is upgraded, the Town plans to hire an engineer design to replace and improve the facilities. Goals include more space for operations and upgrade to energy efficient systems. The Public Works Shed, which loses heat through bay doors with entering and exiting maintenance vehicles, is kept at the lowest acceptable temperature during the heating season.
Jamie Welch Park and Dorval House at 13 Depot Street • The Parks and Recreation Commission utilizes the outdoor Jamie Welch Park facilities and the Dorval House for three-season usage although the recreational facilities are
CNHRPC 19
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21
unofficially used year-round. Depot Street utilities are for outdoor lighting and electricity for the building. Three or four outside LED lights illuminate some of the facilities. The Dorval House, which uses electricity, hosts the Summer Park Program, a daytime recreational program for children. The Park also serves as a parking lot and trailhead access for the Northern Rail Trail. An on-site Eversource electrical substation services the King Street area.
Dormant Facilities • The former police station at 19 High St is not used at all and is scheduled for demolition and sale. The old library facilities (1913 building) at 248 King Street is kept operational yet remains dormant until a new use or tenant is located. The Town Hall meeting space at 14 High Street is located in the basement of the Congregational Church at the intersection of US 4 and US 3. This space is kept closed except when used for community meetings and energy use is generally low.
These actions taken to date by the Town demonstrate Boscawen’s interest and commitment to reducing energy use and costs. Effective facility management and the responsible use of public funds are a priority for municipal managers. With additional energy data benchmarking and continual monitoring, the results of such efforts will be measurable.
OBJECTIVES AND RECOMMENDATIONS As stated earlier, the vision for Boscawen is a community that supports and preserves its rural Local Energy Committees character while looking for opportunities to improve economic development, reduce nhenergy.org municipal expenditures and promote efficient There are dozens of local Energy development that embraces the concept of energy Committees (LEC) statewide with several efficiency. Boscawen’s energy policies as they located in the Central NH region, relate to energy generation, building standards, including– Concord, Dunbarton, Henniker, Pembroke, Warner and Webster. Some transportation and land use development LECs are working on energy chapters in patterns can have a direct impact on the master plans, managing energy inventories community’s vitality and long-term sustainability. or audits of municipal buildings, The following objectives and recommendations developing an Energy Action Plan and/or are an effort to address this vision with a series of moving forward with special projects such as municipal solar arrays. recommendations for pursuing energy efficiency and conservation.
One of the most important actions is the establishment of a local Energy Committee whose charge will include consideration of the energy recommendations and actions in this Chapter.
CNHRPC 20
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21
OBJECTIVE 1 To reduce municipal energy usage and costs and improve energy efficiency in municipal operations.
→ Actively monitor municipal energy usage and costs to track progress resulting from energy saving initiatives.
→ Develop an Energy Action Plan to include a detailed evaluation of Town & school building energy usage, costs, projections, and recommendations. Include dormant buildings for future benchmarking. Municipal Department vehicle fuel usage should also be monitored and analyzed as part of the Town’s total energy inventory.
→ Continue to consider conversion to LED lighting, solar power systems, insulation for improved efficiency at municipal facilities and conversion to LED lighting for streetlights. Bulk purchase of fuel for town vehicles and bulk purchase of heating oil/gas/propane with other municipalities could also be pursued.
→ Continue to develop departmental energy policies to save energy through behavioral changes (such as programming thermostats, turn lights on if ambient lighting not sufficient, and most tech turns off electronic equipment when not in use). Most buildings on only 8 hours per day (Fire Dept has least active hours)
→ Continue to implement building energy improvement plans to increase the efficiency of municipal buildings and incorporate planned improvements into the municipal budgeting process.
→ Investigate options for renewable energy at municipal buildings, particularly whether a municipal solar array would be beneficial to the community and where it could be placed (roof vs ground mounted) and investigate options.
OBJECTIVE 2 To encourage and support energy-conscious development throughout Boscawen.
→ Review and revise existing land use regulations as necessary to provide for energy- conscious development, such as cluster subdivisions, accessory dwelling units, mixed use, infill development, outdoor lighting, and incentives.
→ Conduct a regulatory audit of existing zoning and building/electrical permit policies to evaluate current support of renewable energy systems at the residential and commercial/industrial levels. → Emphasize renewable energy sources, particularly on solar energy during the development process.
CNHRPC 21
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21
→ Review adequacy of existing regulations for renewable energy installations such as solar arrays.
→ Identify those development projects in the Transportation Chapter that prioritize development projects with options for energy efficient transportation modes, such as bicycle and pedestrian facilities, access to public transportation, ride sharing, proximity to community amenities, shared parking and driveways, and a highly connective road network.
→ Continue to keep apprised of the Energy Building code (currently 2015) and opportunities for education and training offered for code enforcement officials.
OBJECTIVE 3 To inform Boscawen residents and business owners about energy conservation, efficiency, and renewable energy measures and where to find additional information and funding.
→ Consider establishing an Energy Committee to advise the Town on energy matters and provide resources to residents and business owners relating to energy improvements.
→ Maintain information and links on the Town of Boscawen’s website and at the library for residents and business owners on home energy saving strategies, renewable energy system installation, business energy programs, available financing, tax credits, green building design, etc.
→ Sponsor and/or partner with others on workshops or events on energy conservation, efficiency, and renewable energy, and/or notify residents of regional events.
→ Support Boscawen businesses in their efforts to reduce their energy bills, take advantage of renewable technologies, and improve their overall efficiency.
ACTION ITEMS The following actions are tied to the goals and objectives identified in this chapter and contain specific tasks that the Town could consider in its continuing efforts to reduce energy consumption. These items address actions both within the municipal government and within the wider community.
MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS The Town has already taken steps to reduce energy consumption and costs; however, additional strategies or action could include:
→ Regularly track and monitor energy consumption using energy inventory and benchmarking tools to evaluate progress toward goals.
CNHRPC 22
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21
→ Update the DPW heating system equipment to increase efficiencies from the current waste oil system as part of the overall facility upgrade to begin after Fire Station upgrade.
→ Continue to purchase more fuel-efficient vehicles or convert to cleaner burning fuels such as biodiesel (and waste oil system) where possible.
→ Continue to assess area lighting and eliminate unnecessary exterior fixtures and retrofit with more efficient lighting where and when cost effective.
→ Consider joining or establishing a regional coalition of energy efficient municipal organizations for collective bargaining power with Unitil and other energy suppliers.
→ Continue to seek streetlight retrofits in new developments and existing infrastructure.
→ Continue to purchase of energy efficient equipment when replacing appliances or systems.
→ Reduce solid waste through purchasing choices (improvements in packaging to reduce damage of items in transit), reuse of shipping packaging for additional use, recycling, and composting.
→ Discuss the benefits of a no-idling policy to reduce vehicle emissions, and/or purchase of technology such as idling retrofits that provide auxiliary power while engines are off to reduce emissions.
→ During the 2027 King Street update, promote of pedestrian, bicycle, carpooling, and public transportation facilities in coordination with state and regional programs (such as NH Rideshare, and Safe Routes to School).
→ Install renewable energy production systems (solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, methane from landfill) at municipal facilities where appropriate and when cost effective.
PUBLIC OUTREACH: To effectively share energy information resources with the public and encourage reductions in private energy use, there are several steps that the Town of Boscawen could take:
→ Establish a Local Energy Committee to advise municipal officials and work on public outreach efforts.
→ Develop an energy section on the Town website, including energy saving tips, tax incentive information, available financing and rebates, and other resources.
→ Place informational materials in a central location, such as at the Town Library, where residents may pick up hard copies of fact sheets and brochures.
CNHRPC 23
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21
→ Organize periodic public workshops or events with other partners where residents on topics such as weatherization, renewable technologies, and financing mechanisms.
→ Participate in regional energy committee meetings, workshops, conferences, and events to share knowledge and collaborate with counterparts in nearby communities.
POLICY AND REGULATIONS: To consider certain revisions or additions to Boscawen’s existing ordinances and regulations, the following could be pursued:
→ Consider modifying the 09-01-20 Land Development Regulations to require energy efficient building siting and design for passive solar gain, wind protection, and appropriate landscaping (see Innovative Land Use Planning Techniques Handbook).
→ Discuss the benefits of adopting a post-construction stormwater management ordinance that requires design for 100-year storm events.
→ Include energy improvements for municipal buildings and vehicle fleets in long-range capital improvements planning discussions and prioritize such improvements during the annual budgeting process.
→ Develop a Renewable Energy Systems Ordinance to encompass the existing Small Wind Energy Systems ordinance and add language to encourage and regulate small-scale, large-scale, and/or utility-scale Solar Energy and Biomass Energy Systems.
While not an exhaustive list, progress on individual recommendations or actions will lead Boscawen toward achieving more energy efficiency. The pursuit of both small and large changes will be necessary to reach the desired level of savings. It is also important to note that policy shifts, planning considerations, and behavioral changes are just as important as making system or equipment improvements and these steps often take several years.
SUMMARY The overall intent of this Chapter is to provide a general analysis of Boscawen’s municipal energy use and to identify strategies for the Town to pursue in the areas of energy conservation, efficiency, clean energy options, and energy-conscious development. The Town is being proactive and is taking steps toward reducing energy consumption and costs. Additional opportunities exist for the Town to continue its efforts, including changes to land use policies, municipal operations, and public outreach. By implementing such changes, Boscawen can save energy and taxpayer dollars, reduce pollutant emissions, and create a community with a strong quality of life. A community that supports energy efficiency efforts also supports sustaining settlement patterns that reduce transportation infrastructure, conserve natural resources and promote open space protection.
CNHRPC 24
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21
Public Hearing Chapter 6 For Planning Board Adoption ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 01-05-21
Boscawen is a community that strives at maintaining economic and environmental health through implementing a mix of strategic land uses without compromising the Town’s rural character. A strong, diverse economy is a key element of sustainability as a diverse tax base provides multiple benefits for residents, including jobs, access to goods and services and financial support for community services. Strong, working relationships between businesses and local government are important elements for successful economic development.
This Economic Development Chapter CHAPTER VISION focuses on the Town’s current economic base and identifies economic development tools available to Boscawen will continue to encourage sensible Boscawen. A series of recommendations, and sustainable economic development that including specific actions to help achieve fits with the Town’s rural character and the Town’s vision, are listed at the end supports a diverse tax base. The use of of Chapter. available economic development tools will seek to ensure that Boscawen is a desirable, business friendly location. ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS An analysis of various datasets such as labor force and employment provide opportunities for Boscawen to understand economic trends and to weigh these trends against the overall vision and recommendations identified in this Chapter. It should be noted that at the time of preparing this Chapter, the world is in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is unknown at this time what impacts, if any, the pandemic will have on the following economic trends. This should be considered when utilizing this data in future planning.
LABOR FORCE, EMPLOYMENT, AND UNEMPLOYMENT Boscawen’s civilian labor force, employed population, and unemployment rate is presented in Figure 6-1. The civilian labor force has fluctuated over the past ten years, with the most recent data for 2019 showing similar numbers to that reported in 2010. The civilian labor force for 2019 was reported at 1,971 people, ten people more than the 2010 civilian labor force of 1,961 people. The number of employed residents has been increased since 2013, with 1,919 employed residents reported in 2019.
Boscawen’s unemployment rate has decreased over the past ten years, with the exception of a slight uptick in 2019 (Figure 6-1). However, in recent years Boscawen’s unemployment rate has remained higher than county and statewide levels, with an unemployment rate of 2.6% in 2019, as compared to Merrimack County (2.3%) and the state of New Hampshire (2.5%) respectively. This divergence could indicate a trend toward increased economic stratification among residents.
CNHRPC 1
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21
Figure 6-1: Historic Labor Force & Employment Trends in Boscawen Historic Civilian Labor Force, Employed Labor Force, & Unemployment Rate for Boscawen
6.6%
5.4% 5.5% 5.1%
4.2%
3.6%
2.9% 2.6%
2.4% 2.4%
1,915 1,961 1,831 1,940 1,835 1,912 1,806 1,898 1,801 1,901 1,821 1,906 1,837 1,860 1,921 1,875 1,949 1,902 1,971 1,919
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Employed Civilian Labor Force Unemployment Rate
Source: GraniteStats, New Hampshire Employment Security
It is also worth noting that unemployment trends changed dramatically after the 2008 financial crisis and during the subsequent recession. Although New Hampshire fared better than other states, it was not immune from the economic downturn. Unemployment rates in 2009 were more than double the 2000 rates, and Boscawen was no exception. While unemployment rates have since continued to decline, it is unknown at this time what the COVID-19 Pandemic will have on unemployment in 2020 and the sequential years.
OCCUPATIONS Employment by industry sector indicated that the majority of jobs are within the health care and social assistance (32.7%), followed by accommodation and food services (10.9%) respectively, as reported by the U.S. Census Bureau’s OnTheMap application. Other common industry sectors include transportation and warehousing, professional, scientific, and technical services, retail trade, and educational services, and other services excluding public administration.
CNHRPC 2
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21
Figure 6-2: Location & Density of Jobs in Boscawen, 2017 As shown in Figure 6-2, the highest density of jobs in Boscawen is along NH Route 3 corridor, however, there are several other areas of employment located throughout town.
To gain a better understanding of the types and quality of the jobs located in Boscawen, wages paid by employers in Boscawen can be compared to those in the surrounding communities. As it can be seen in Table 6-1 below, Boscawen has the highest average weekly wage, when compared to surrounding communities. It should be noted that the figures show the average annual weekly wage for people who work within the Town of Boscawen, they do not represent the average weekly wage of a Boscawen resident.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, OnTheMap Application and LEHD Origin- Destination Employment Statistics
Table 6-1: Average Annual Weekly Wage & Employed Labor Force, 2018 COMMUNITY ANNUAL AVERAGE COVERED AVERAGE WEEKLY WAGE ANNUAL AVERAGE EMPLOYED EMPLOYMENT (COVERED EMPLOYMENT) CIVILIAN LABOR FORCE Boscawen 1,373 $879 1,902 Canterbury 329 $564 1,449 Concord 40,594 $855 22,224 Franklin 2,548 $739 3,922 Northfield 1,304 $872 2,457 Salisbury 126 $628 795 Webster 145 $670 1,138 Source: New Hampshire Employment Security Covered Employment Data
CNHRPC 3
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21
COMMUTING PATTERNS Figure 6-3: Job Count by Distance and According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Center Direction of Boscawen Residents, 2017 for Economic Studies, the majority of residents in 2017 were employed in a community outside of Boscawen, with 1,977 residents employed elsewhere and 129 residents employed within Boscawen. As shown in Figure 6-3, many residents commute in the southeast direction, with approximately 35% of residents working in Concord and 8.5% of residents working in Manchester in 2017. Other locations, though at smaller percentages, included Bow, Hooksett, Nashua, Londonderry, Pembroke, and various other communities.
Additionally, an estimated 1,750 non- residents commute into Boscawen for work, with the most coming from Concord (19.4%) and Franklin (8.2%).
TOWN TAX RATE AND VALUATION A review of Boscawen’s overall tax rate per $1000 of valuation (Table 6-2) between 2010 and 2019 shows that the rate increased from $20.98 in 2010 to $28.12 in 2019. During this time period, increases occurred in 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2019. The municipal, county, local and state school rates also saw various fluctuations in their value for the years presented in Table 6-2. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Center for Economic Studies, OnTheMap Application
Table 6-2: Boscawen’s Tax Rate, 2010-2019 YEAR MUNICIPAL RATE COUNTY RATE LOCAL EDUCATION STATE EDUCATION TOTAL RATE PER $1000 PER $1000 RATE PER $1000 RATE PER $1000 PER $1000 2010 $6.24 $2.47 $10.08 $2.19 $20.98 2011 $6.35 $2.42 $10.14 $2.14 $21.05 2012 $5.97 $2.26 $10.74 $2.08 $21.05 2013 $8.31 $2.82 $13.63 $2.30 $27.06 2014 $8.77 $3.03 $14.33 $2.42 $28.55 2015 $8.56 $2.93 $15.50 $2.41 $29.40 2016 $8.82 $2.83 $14.60 $2.36 $28.61 2017 $8.24 $3.02 $16.48 $2.23 $29.97 2018 $8.15 $2.61 $13.86 $1.98 $26.60 2019 $8.08 $2.60 $15.45 $1.99 $28.12 Source: New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration
CNHRPC 4
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21
Compared to its surrounding communities, Boscawen’s total valuation falls in the middle with a total valuation of $305,646,694 in 2019 (Table 6-3). Boscawen’s tax rate of $28.12 is higher than all of the communities. This is again the case when it comes to Boscawen’s full value tax rate ($26.44), with the exception of Concord, which has a full value tax rate of $26.66.
Table 6-3: Equalized Tax Rates of Boscawen and Surrounding Communities, 2019 COMMUNITY TOTAL EQUALIZED VALUATION TAX RATE 2019 EQ FULL VALUE INCLUDING UTILITIES & RAILROAD PER $1000 RATIO TAX RATE Boscawen $305,646,694 $28.12 95.9 $26.44 Canterbury $324,226,271 $27.87 81.5 $22.53 Concord $4,607,017,330 $27.78 96.9 $26.66 Franklin $727,398,400 $22.47 95.5 $20.92 Northfield $400,800,928 $23.80 88.2 $20.20 Salisbury $174,084,412 $23.14 88.0 $19.77 Webster $255,611,034 $21.96 93.9 $20.27 Source: New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration
What is equalization?
Equalized valuation, or equalization, is an adjustment of the Town’s local assessed values, either upward or downward, in order to approximate the full value of the Town’s property. Calculated by the NH Department of Revenue Administration, an equalization rate of 100 means the municipality is assessing property at 100 percent of market value. A ratio less than 100 means the municipality’s total market value is greater than its assessed value. The full value tax rate can then be used to make a limited comparison of what a property in one municipality would pay for taxes to a property of equal value in another municipality. This process is due to an imbalance caused by varying local assessment levels. That being said, the full value tax rate is the equalized tax rate for a town.
DEVELOPMENT TRENDS Figure 6-4: Residential Building Permits Issued in Figure 6-4 displays the Boscawen, 2015-2019 number of residential 38 building permits issued in Boscawen from 2015 through 2019. The majority of new residential building permits over the period were issued in 2016 and were part of a new townhouse development located on Shoreline Drive 6 and Kayak Way. An additional 0 0 1 one permit was issued in 2018 and six were issued in in 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
2019. No permits were issued Source: Town of Boscawen in 2015 and 2017.
CNHRPC 5
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21
AVAILABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOLS Several potential economic development tools The Role of the Economic available for use in Boscawen are outlined in this Development Committee Chapter. The tools include (1) the Community Revitalization Tax Relief Incentive, (2) the It takes a great deal of effort and establishment of Economic Revitalizations Zones momentum to undertake an (ERZs), (3) the implementation of the appropriate level of economic Commercial and Industrial Construction development in a small community. If Exemption and (4) the formation of Tax formed, an Economic Development Increment Financing (TIF) districts. While Committee can assist in promoting different in their application (temporary local some of the potential tools described in property tax relief vs. a potential reduction in this chapter. The role of the Economic New Hampshire business profits tax levied), Development Committee could include these tools can be used to help further the following: Boscawen’s economic development goals. A • Coordinate with other town boards summary of the potential tools follows. to educate residents about the COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION TAX RELIEF INCENTIVE available economic development If the Community Revitalization Tax Relief tools described in this chapter and Incentive is adopted at Town Meeting, the Board work towards implementation. of Selectmen have the authority to delay any • Engage in strategic economic increase in taxes for property owners in the development planning and policy designated zone if they replace or substantially development and recommend rehabilitate their property. Its goal is to zoning changes when needed to encourage the rehabilitation and active reuse of encourage sound economic under-utilized buildings. development.
The Community Revitalization Tax Relief • Establish a Business Retention and Incentive program works in the following Expansion subcommittee to make manner: contact with existing local businesses to understand their • A property owner who wants to substantially needs and to provide assistance rehabilitate a building located in a designated with retention and expansion district may apply for a period of temporary activities. tax relief. • Develop promotional materials, • The temporary tax relief, if granted, would including economic development consist of a finite period of time (1 to 5 years) information on the Boscawen town during which the property tax on the website. structure would not increase as a result of its • Utilize state resources such as substantial rehabilitation. In exchange for the selectnh.com to promote potential relief, the property owner grants a covenant commercial/industrial properties ensuring there is a public benefit to the that are currently on the market. rehabilitation. The approval by the Board of Selectmen is on a case by case basis.
CNHRPC 6
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21
• Following expiration of the tax Figure 6-5: Proposed Village Zone Community relief period, the structure would Revitalization Tax Relief Zone be taxed at its full market value taking into account the rehabilitation. The area encompassing the Village District zone approved at 2018 Town Meeting is proposed for initial designation as a Community Revitalization Tax Relief Incentive Zone. The proposed zone is shown in Figure 6-5.
ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION ZONES (ERZS) – NH RSA 162-N The Economic Revitalization Zone (ERZ) program is enabled in the State of New Hampshire through NH RSA 162-N. The program allows municipalities to establish certain zones in a community where a business can then seek a credit on its New Hampshire Business Profits Tax. To establish a zone or zones, the Town may apply to the program (administered by the NH Division of Economic Development) following a process outlined in NH RSA 162-N:8. The ERZ program currently has $825,000 available per year for tax credits throughout the State of New Hampshire. The program was recently extended to 2028. To be eligible for the program, a designated zone must meet one of the following requirements: (a) Unused or underutilized industrial parks; or (b) Vacant land or structures previously used for industrial, commercial or retail purposes but currently not so used due to demolition, age, relocation of the former occupant’s operations, obsolescence, deterioration, brownfields, or cessation of operation resulting from unfavorable economic conditions either generally or in a specific economics sector.
CNHRPC 7
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21
Potential locations for an ERZ in Boscawen include the Mill Redevelopment District area along Commercial Street and Tremont Street as well as the High Street area to the north of the US3/US4 split as shown in Figures 6-6 and 6-7.
Figure 6-6: Potential MRD Economic Revitalization Zone (ERZ)
Figure 6-7: Potential High Street Economic Revitalization Zone (ERZ)
CNHRPC 8
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21
COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL CONSTRUCTION EXEMPTION – NH RSA 72: 80-83 If the Commercial and Industrial Construction Exemption is adopted at Town Meeting, the tax exemption for a commercial or industrial use shall be a specified percentage on an annual basis of the increase in assessed value attributable to construction of new structures, and additions, renovations, or improvements to existing structures not exceed 50 percent per year.
The maximum period for the exemption is 10 years following the new construction, and only applies to municipal and local school property taxes. The exemption can apply to all commercial/industrial properties or can be limited to specific zones.
When considering the enactment of the Commercial and Industrial Construction Exemption, the Town Meeting vote must specify the percentage of new assessed value to be exempted and the number of years duration following construction. The vote to adopt remains in effect for 5 years, except that exemptions shall continue for the rate and duration granted.
This tax incentive is similar to the Community Revitalization Tax Relief Incentive (NH RSA 79- E) described above in that it seeks to promote investment through the short-term reduction of local property taxes, although this tool extends the approach to commercial or industrial uses. Also similar to the NH RSA 79-E zone, the exemption is approved on a case by case basis based upon the project’s public benefit.
If enacted in the future, it is proposed that the use of the Commercial and Industrial Construction be limited to either just the MRD zone or both the MRD and Industrial zones.
TAX INCREMENT FINANCING (TIF) DISTRICT-NH RSA 162-K The creation of a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district permits the financing of public improvements with the incremental taxes created either by new construction, expansion, or renovation of property within a defined area of the community. Criteria that must be met for creation of a TIF district include: • The provisions of RSA 162-K must be adopted at Town Meeting before creating a TIF. • Following adoption of the provisions of the statute, the Town may then establish one or more development districts. • For each district, the Town must establish a Development Program including a Tax Increment Financing Plan, which shall allocate use of tax increments for retirement of bonds and notes, operation, maintenance and improvements in the district and for general municipal purposes. • Money raised within a district must be spent within that same district.
Although the development of a TIF can be the most difficult economic tool to develop and administer due to its complexity and long-term approach, it can be a valuable tool to finance infrastructure improvements that would not otherwise be undertaken such as water line extensions in the Commercial Street area to promote future redevelopment. A future TIF for the MRD zone, in coordination with brownfields assessments and cleanup (see reference in
CNHRPC 9
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21 this Chapter) and ERZ incentives, may be the combined approach that is necessary to promote future investment and development in the area.
OTHER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CONSIDERATIONS Economic development efforts are not limited to available tax incentives or the outreach and promotion to existing or potential businesses. Whether it is a quality of life or local culture issue such as the development of the Northern Rail Trail, or the assessment and planning for future cleanup of brownfields sites on Commercial Street, other topics can affect the Town’s economic wellbeing.
THE NORTHERN RAIL TRAIL The Northern Rail trail, currently extending 58 miles from Lebanon to River Road in Boscawen, and is a popular destination for walkers, bicyclists, and snowmobiles. The trail is considered by most to be an asset to the town and is enjoyed by many. The trail follows the Merrimack River and parallels King Street, the heart of Boscawen and village area. The Town and a local non- profit organization, “Friends of the Northern Rail Trail Merrimack County,” are currently working to complete the last 0.6 miles of trail so that it extends to the Concord line. This final stretch of trail would be a stone’s throw from several large areas of former industrial land that the Town is currently considering for redevelopment.
Figure 6-8: Northern Rail Trail
CNHRPC 10
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21
The trail, in addition to other recreational and historic assets in the area, can play a significant role in supporting the town’s economic development initiatives. Amenities like the Northern Rail Trail support Boscawen’s overall quality of life and can play a role to attract potential future mixed-use development activities in the Mill Redevelopment District. The trail is also an asset for future economic development prospects along King Street.
BROWNFIELDS ASSESSMENT AND CLEANUP ACTIVITIES A brownfields site is defined as a former industrial or commercial site where future use is affected by real or perceived environmental contamination. In Boscawen, several sites along Commercial Street have been assessed in recent years utilizing funding available through the CNHRPC Regional Brownfields Assessment Program funded by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Specifically, Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments and a Real Estate Market Assessment have been completed for the town-owned former Allied Leather site at 36-56 Commercial Street. In addition, a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment has been completed at 30-34 Commercial Street site under private ownership.
Next steps related to the Brownfields Program include continued efforts by the Town to seek EPA brownfields cleanup program funding for the Allied Leather Site (the matching funding for this program was approved at 2020 Town Meeting), and potential Phase II Assessment activities as necessary for 30-34 Commercial Street utilizing future CNHRPC Brownfields Program funding. Needless to say, the assessment and future cleanup of brownfields sites along Commercial Street are essential to future redevelopment plans for the area.
FUTURE KING STREET IMPROVEMENTS As described in the Transportation Chapter, the King Street (US3/US4) Complete Streets Improvement project is included in the 2021-2030 State of New Hampshire Ten Year Plan, with preliminary engineering scheduled to begin in 2021 and construction slated for 2027. : The project will reconstruct a section of US3/US4 between the southern and northern splits, undertaking safety improvements, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and evaluating intersection improvements to the northern US3/US4 split.
The planned improvements, in coordination with the recent approval of the Village District zone and the potential use of the Community Revitalization Tax Relief Incentives along the corridor, provide a solid base for the future of King Street.
OBJECTIVES AND RECOMMENDATIONS This chapter focuses on the Town’s economic base and strives to identify the connections between Boscawen’s economy and its existing land use, community infrastructure, and natural resources. There are many opportunities available to enhance Boscawen’s economy while maintaining the character of the Town that is so highly valued by residents.
The following objectives were developed that capture the overall aims of the chapter. Individual recommendations were developed that correlate to existing conditions and needs of the community.
CNHRPC 11
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21
OBJECTIVE 1: Encourage and support the work of local committees to investigate and implement economic development related tools and projects.
→ Support the formation and work of the Boscawen Economic Development Committee.
→ Undertake efforts beginning with tasks identified in this chapter to promote Boscawen’s economic development activities. The initial tasks include (1) providing education and support regarding available economic development tools and incentives, and (2) the development of online economic development information on the Town website and the use of selectnh.com. OBJECTIVE 2: Encourage and support the use of appropriate economic development incentives in Boscawen.
→ Encourage additional local investment by (1) seeking Town Meeting approval of a Community Revitalization Tax Relief Incentive Zone (NH RSA 79-E) for the proposed Village Zone and (2) development of Economic Revitalization Zone (ERZ) zones in the Mill Redevelopment Zone and High Street areas.
→ Investigate and consider the future adoption of the Commercial and Industrial Construction Exemption for the MRD zone.
→ Investigate and consider the future adoption of a Tax Increment Finance (TIF) district to proactively support future redevelopment activities in the Commercial Street area. OBJECTIVE 3: Continue to encourage and support programs and policies that are closely related to Boscawen’s redevelopment efforts and economic wellbeing.
→ Continue to support measures to extend and complete the last 0.6 miles of the Northern Rail Trail to the Concord line.
→ Continue to support brownfields assessment and cleanup related activities in the Commercial Street area.
→ Continue to support planning efforts related to the King Street Complete Streets Improvement project currently scheduled for construction in 2027.
SUMMARY The overall intent of this Chapter is to characterize Boscawen’s economic patterns and trends over time, in the context of its neighbors and the state as a whole, review available economic development tools and measures that can be undertaken, and describe other related issues that can impact Boscawen’s economic future.
From an economic trend standpoint, Boscawen has fared better than its neighbors in some respects, but worse than others. Unemployment rates remain high and in recent years higher
CNHRPC 12
BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN FOR PB PUBLIC HEARING 01-05-21 than county and statewide levels. Most Boscawen workers travel beyond the Town’s borders for employment. Future economic development in Boscawen could involve efforts to attract new businesses to town to provide increased local job opportunities that match residents’ skills and employment needs close to home.
There are a variety of available economic development incentives and tools that the Town could utilize in the future to promote economic development. A key element of the economic development process includes the formation and support of an Economic Development Committee to undertake the economic development activities outlined in this Chapter. There are many options and opportunities that can be undertaken in coordination with past and existing efforts such as the Village District zoning change, future redevelopment efforts along Commercial Street, and the future extension of the Northern Rail Trail.
CNHRPC 13
Public Hearing 2020 For Planning Board Adoption 01-05-21
Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment with Co-Occurrence Mapping
Town of Boscawen, New Hampshire
Prepared for the Boscawen Conservation Commission May 29, 2020
Adopted by the Boscawen Planning Board into the Master Plan 01-05-21
2020
Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment with Co-Occurrence Mapping
Town of Boscawen, New Hampshire
Prepared by: Central NH Regional Planning Commission for the Boscawen Conservation Commission and the Town of Boscawen 116 North Main Street Boscawen, NH 03303 https://www.townofboscawen.org
Boscawen Conservation Commission Tom Gilmore, Chair Jeffrey Abbe Lyman A. Cousens Mark Kaplan Normal LaPierre Henry Carrier, Alternate Brendon Jackson, Alternate Lorrie J. Carey, Ex-Officio
Central NH Regional Planning Commission Craig Tufts, Principal GIS Planner Stephanie Alexander, Senior Planner
Table of Contents
1. Introduction ...... 1 1.1. Purpose ...... 1 1.2. NRI Community Survey Results ...... 3 1.3 Co-Occurrence Weighting ...... 4 1.4 Co-Occurrence Results ...... 5 2. Water Resources Co-Occurrence ...... 6 2.1. Drinking Water Input Value Scores and Co-Occurrence Results ...... 6 2.2. Surface Waters Input Value Scores and Co-Occurrence Results ...... 7 2.3. Watersheds ...... 8 2.4. Surface Waters ...... 9 2.5. Aquifers/Groundwater ...... 12 2.6. Floodplains ...... 14 2.7. Wetlands ...... 15 2.8. Public Water Supplies ...... 16 3. Agriculture and Forestry Resources Co-Occurrence ...... 17 3.1. Agricultural Input Value Scores and Co-Occurrence Results ...... 17 3.2. Agricultural Operations ...... 18 3.3. Important Farmland Soils ...... 19 3.4. Forestry Soils ...... 20 4. Land, Historic and Recreational Resources Co-Occurrence ...... 21 4.1. Cultural and Recreational Resource Input Value Scores and Co-Occurrence Results ...... 21 4.2. Conservation and Public Lands ...... 23 4.3. Current Use ...... 24 4.4. Recreational Trails ...... 25 4.5. Historic and Cultural Sites ...... 25 4.6. Steep Slopes or Ridgelines ...... 25 4.7. Scenic Views and Viewsheds ...... 26 4.8. Bedrock Geology ...... 27 5. Wildlife Habitat Resources Co-Occurrence ...... 28 5.1. Wildlife Habitat Input Value Scores and Co-Occurrence Results ...... 28 5.2. Unfragmented Blocks ...... 29 5.3. Wildlife Action Plan (WAP) Habitats ...... 31
Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 i
6. Conclusion and NRI Recommendations ...... 33 6.1. Weighted Co-Occurrence Analysis ...... 33 6.2. NRI Recommendations ...... 34
APPENDIX A. NRI Survey Results (Survey Monkey and Tabulated) ...... see attached B. NRI Data Input Layers and Scoring ...... see attached
CO-OCCURRENCE MAPS 11X17 Surface Water Weighting Map Drinking Water Weighting Map Agriculture Weighting Map Scenic, Historic, and Recreation Weighting Map Habitat Weighting Map Weighted Co-Occurrence Analysis Map
NATURAL RESOURCE INVENTORY MAPS 11X17 Agricultural Land Map Conservation Lands and Public Lands Map Land Use Map Recreation and Cultural Resources Map Prime Farmland Soils Map Forestry Soils Map Trails Map Topography and Scenic Vistas Map Scenic Viewsheds Map Unfragmented Lands Map
For additional information on Natural Resources in the Town of Boscawen, please refer to the Boscawen Master Plan’s Natural Resources Chapter 2018.
Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 ii
1. Introduction
Natural resources provide critical habitat and ecological services in the Town of Boscawen. In growing urban and rural areas, competing land uses, development pressure, high land values, and sprawling settlement constrain and threaten high quality natural resources. Boscawen is a rural but growing community directly north of the City of Concord and accessible via Interstate 93 at Exit 17. US Routes 3 & 4 travel in the north-south direction in the Town. US 3 follows King Street where much of Boscawen’s historical identity and commercial enterprises are jointly located. The recent completion of the Boscawen Master Plan 2018 enables close consideration of the natural resources and how they relate to other community goals and overall vision, and contributes to this NRI.
1.1. Purpose Natural resources are essential to providing habitat for wildlife, preserving rare or sensitive species and ecosystems, ensuring the sustainability of agriculture, and providing a BOSCAWEN MASTER PLAN 2018 wide range of ecological services that support the Town of NATURAL RESOURCES OBJECTIVES:
Boscawen over the long term. This NRI identifies, prioritizes, To preserve the traditional, rural, and and maps these resources. This will help inform land visual character of Boscawen by conservation priorities and other practices that help sustain protecting its natural, historic, scenic, agricultural, forestry, and water these natural resources and the benefits they bring. resources. To promote the conservation, protection, NRI Maps and sound management of the Town’s Ten primary natural resource maps were developed to natural resources. To develop tools to be used with sound display and analyze topography, agricultural resources, water planning principles to conserve resources, conservation and public lands, scenic views and Boscawen’s natural, historic, scenic, agricultural, forestry, and water viewsheds, recreational trails, historic and cultural sites, resources. unfragmented lands, forestry soils, agricultural soils, and To raise the awareness of the citizens and habitats identified in the NH Wildlife Action Plan (WAP). officials in Boscawen of the importance of protecting the Town’s natural resources.
To provide opportunities for recreational The Land Use Map identifies areas of the Town where enjoyment of the Town’s natural development has already taken place as categorized by resources by Boscawen citizens. specific land use, delineated by hand using GIS aerial photography from 2015, with supporting information from the Town of Boscawen’s tax map assessing records. This map also displays where potential future development may occur. The culmination of the plan includes six co-occurrence maps that display areas of Town with the highest natural resource value, and presumably the highest land conservation value for the Town. Five weighted co-occurrence maps show
Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 1 natural resource score results for five different topic areas; Agriculture, Cultural and Recreational, Drinking Water, Surface Water, and Wildlife Habitat. A final co-occurrence map encompasses all five resource categories. A brief analysis of each of these maps and their inputs is included in this document. A large map set was developed as part of this NRI, in both paper and digital format, and was provided to the Conservation Commission.
Process This Natural Resources Inventory includes an inventory of natural resources and a weighted co-occurrence analysis. The inventory maps and describes a multitude of natural resources in Boscawen, including water resources, agricultural resources, cultural and recreational resources, and habitat resources. The weighted co-occurrence analysis is an attempt to assign relative value to the resources and the lands that support them.
The first step, the inventory component, involved developing a list of natural resources in Boscawen, identifying the appropriate GIS data layers to display that resource, and mapping them. Second, each natural resource “layer” was assigned a score that identified its relative importance to the Town of Boscawen as a natural resource. This valuation was based on information gleaned from results of a public survey, knowledge and experience from the Conservation Commission, best practices, and advice from experts in the field. Finally, these scored or “weighted’ layers were overlaid on top of each other in a co-occurrence mapping exercise. Natural resources with a higher value to the Town were given a greater weight, and resources with a relative lower value were given a lower weight. The resulting map highlights which areas of Town support the highest value of natural resources. The NRI document, and its recommendations are based on the inventory and the co-occurrence results.
The table to the right displays these key steps in this Process process. The Conservation Commission was highly involved Conservation Determine Natural Resource and GIS in this process and reviewed and refined the maps, Commission Data Layers for NRI Mapping Meetings, Survey Monkey Public Feedback on analysis, and recommendations. The NRI Survey was Public Priorities, Assign “Weights” to Layers distributed online via Survey Monkey and was also Process, and Co-Occurrence Mapping available in print to obtain the public’s opinions on the CNHRPC NRI Analysis and NRI Preparation importance of various resources. A table of the data inputs Development Develop Recommendations NRI Release and Public Outreach and value scores for the co-occurrence mapping is displayed in the next section.
Recommendations The priority conservation areas included in this document are developed based on the co-occurrence analysis and data obtained in the map set. In addition, general strategies for outreach, management, and regulatory action are included.
Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 2
Intended Use The information in this NRI is intended to inform and guide land conservation efforts in the Town of Boscawen. It provides information about specific habitats and resources―at both the site and Town-scale―that can support land use decisions and conservation priorities. This NRI provides a benchmark for observing short- and long-term changes, and it should be updated as conditions change and when new information is available. This baseline assessment may be refined through field investigations and gathering of ground truth data, further developing this document into a more comprehensive inventory and assessment. The NRI may be incorporated into the Town’s Master Plan and other planning documents. It is intended to serve as an informational tool that may inform future changes in zoning, land use regulations, and policies. Finally, it is an educational resource for Town staff, boards, residents, and other interested individuals.
NRI Objectives
• Increase identification and understanding of the Town’s natural resources. • Develop information that can inform decisions about balancing development and conservation. • Identify resources that are potentially at risk. • Identify natural resources that interact as systems. • Provide a visual resource that can be used as a reference for collaboration among Town Commissions and Boards. • Capture a snapshot of the Town’s natural resources for use as a baseline in tracking land use trends. • Compile preliminary information that may be used for a more comprehensive NRI or Open Space Plan. • Work towards improving and protecting water quality in the Upper Merrimack Region and Contoocook River watersheds. • Develop and promote educational conservation resource for the Town and the public. • Increase public awareness about the need to conserve at-risk resources for future use and knowledge of the criteria used to determine the most valuable sites.
1.2. NRI Community Survey Results An online survey of open space resources was taken by Boscawen residents to provide input for conservation priorities. A total of 58 responses were received. Respondents answered 13 questions, some of which were in the format of multiple choice, check all that apply, and/or write-in responses. The full survey results from the Survey Monkey survey are available in the Appendix.
Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 3
1.3. Co-Occurrence Weighting Each natural resource data layer has been assigned a value score. A higher score indicates a higher natural resource value to the Town, and a lower score indicates a lower relative value. These scores were assigned based primarily on public input from the community survey, and experience and knowledge from the Conservation Commission. Minor adjustments to the values were made based on research and best practices.
Table 1.1 The natural resource data layers were Co-Occurrence Weighting divided into five categories: Surface Water; Data Layer Value Score Drinking Water; Agriculture; Scenic, (adds to 100) Agricultural Lands 8 Historic, and Recreation; and Wildlife Farm Soils – Prime 8 Habitat. A co-occurrence weighting map Farm Soils – Statewide Importance 5 was created for each of these five Forestry Soils – Group IA and IB 2 categories, as well as for a final co- Agriculture Category Total 23 occurrence map that includes all data Conservation Land Buffer 1000’ 4 inputs. The table at left lists each data layer Wildlife Action plan Highest Ranked Habitat in NH 10 representing a natural resource, and the Wildlife Action plan Highest Biological Habitat in Region 5 value score assigned to it. These layers and Wildlife Action plan Supporting Landscapes 3 Unfragmented Blocks 2,000-5,000 acres 3 values were the inputs for the GIS based co- Unfragmented Blocks >5,000 acres 6 occurrence analysis maps, and add up to Wildlife Habitat Category Total 31 total 100. The six weighting maps, one for Recreational Trails 200’ Buffer 2 each category plus a combined total map, Public Input Additions 4 along with a description of the input data Historic and Cultural Sites Buffer 300’ 2 layers, is included in the next section. Viewshed/Scenic Lands High Promontory 0 Additional information on each natural Viewshed/Scenic Lands Lowlands 0 resource is available later in the document. Cultural and Recreational Category Total 8
Public Water Supply Buffer 500’ 10 Stratified Drift Aquifers (all) 4 Stratified Drift Aquifers Transmissivity >1000 sq ft/day 5 Drinking Water Category Total 19 Wetlands 3 Wetlands and Wetland Buffer 100’ 4 Floodplains 1% Annual Flood Risk (100-year) 4 Waterbodies (3+ acres), Rivers, Streams, Buffers 300’ 8 Surface Waters Category Total 19 Total 100
Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 4
1.4. Co-Occurrence Results A co-occurrence map was produced for each of the five categories. The data inputs and value scores for each of these maps are described in the corresponding chapter later in the document. The final Weighted Co-occurrence Map displayed here is described with the conclusions and recommendations.
Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 5
2. Water Resources Co-Occurrence
Water resources are a critical asset in Boscawen, providing habitat for wildlife, drinking water, recreational opportunities, and flood storage. Comprising both surface water and groundwater resources, they represent some of the most fragile ecosystems and are particularly sensitive to certain types of land use. This section provides an overview of the watersheds, surface waters, floodplains, wetlands, water infrastructure, and aquifers in the Town as depicted on the NRI’s Water Resources Map. Many of these features were used to develop the Surface Water and Groundwater resource maps.
2.1. Drinking Water Input Value Scores and Co-Occurrence Results Public Water Supply Buffer 500’: A 500’ buffer around the Town’s public water supply wells is assigned the highest value score of any data layer (10 out of the 100 point total). These wells provide municipal drinking water for a significant portion of the Town’s residents and businesses.
Aquifers: Groundwater aquifers provide water that feeds into rivers, streams, and lakes, but also are the source of water for residential and commercial wells. The Town has many residential wells used for drinking water and other potable uses, as well as larger wells that supply water to public water systems. All of these wells require healthy groundwater. Groundwater aquifers are needed for existing water quality and safety for present and future drinking water needs. All stratified drift aquifers are assigned a value of 4 points, plus an additional 5 points for aquifer areas with the highest transmissivity (can move more water).
Drinking Water Co-Occurrence Results: The highest value lands for drinking water coincides with the highest value aquifers, specifically in the vicinity of the public water supply wells. A more detailed analysis of drinking water resources
Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 6 may be prudent for analyzing the current and future drinking water needs of the Town, however this analysis shows areas where land conservation efforts are likely to preserve drinking water resources.
Survey results and common sense both show safe and secure drinking water resources are critically important to the Town of Boscawen. The category is worth a total of 19% of the total scores for the Town. The individual input data layers are scored very highly.
2.2. Surface Waters Input Value Scores and Co- Occurrence Results Water Bodies 300’ Buffer: This layer includes all rivers, streams, and water bodies (lakes and ponds) greater than 3 acres, plus a 300’ buffer around them. This layer scores an 8. Water bodies have a number of habitat, ecological, hydrological, and cultural values to the Town of Boscawen.
Wetlands and 100’ Buffer: The National Wetlands Inventory of wetlands are assigned a value score of 3, with areas within a 300’ buffer of wetlands scoring an additional 4. Wetlands are important for clean surface waters, mitigating floods, and provide critical habitat for wildlife.
Floodplains: Areas with a 1% annual flood risk, also known as the 100 year floodplain, are assigned a value score of 4. Protecting floodplains can help reduce flood damage during floods by keeping development out of flood prone areas. Floodplains also absorb and distribute floodwaters, helping reduce the severity of flooding downstream. This data layer is from FEMA Digital Flood Insurance Rates (DFIRM) data.
Surface Water Co-Occurrence Results: The co-occurrence results of the Surface Water related layers highlights Tannery Brook and its associated wetland complex, Beaverdam Brook and its wetlands, along the Webster Town line north of Walker Pond, and the Merrimack River. Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 7
Survey results and Conservation Commission discussions indicated that clean healthy bodies of A watershed is an area of land that captures water were important to the Town of Boscawen, precipitation, surface water runoff, groundwater, etc. particularly the Merrimack River. The Surface and drains into specific waterbodies. Waters category makes up 19% of the total co- occurrence score for Boscawen. Table 2.1 Subwatersheds HUC 12 2.3. Watersheds Subwatershed Total HUC # Name Location Acres Boscawen is located within two main watersheds, the 1070006 MERRIMACK RIVER WATERSHED Contoocook River and the Merrimack River 10700060101 Punch Brook From 20,261 watersheds, as well as four smaller local Subwatershed Canterbury I-93 to south of subwatersheds. The Punch Brook subwatershed in Stirrup Iron Road to High Franklin covers the northern eastern corner of Street to Boscawen. The Tannery Brook subwatershed is Salisbury 10700060102 Tannery Brook- Boscawen- 22,505 located over the entire eastern side of the Town on Merrimack River Canterbury Subwatershed surrounding over past Water Street. This is the largest watershed Merrimack River & US 3, in Boscawen. The Contoocook River subwatershed is most of High Street located south of Knowlton Hill in the southeast 1070003 CONTOOCOOK RIVER WATERSHED section of Town and includes the Hirst Wildlife 10700030602 Contoocook River Flaghole Pond 13,262 Subwatershed to Knowlton Management Area. The western side of Town Hill to North Main to King including Walker Pond is the Deer Meadow Brook Street to subwatershed. Penacook Village 10700030603 Deer Meadow North Water 12,278 Brook Street to Subwatershed Queen Street, east of Flaghole Pond to Horsehill Source: NH Department of Environmental Services Hydrologic Unit Codes 12 data, 2012
Four subwatersheds of the Merrimack and Contoocook Rivers are located in Boscawen.
Although it appears that the critical drinking water supplies in Boscawen lie mostly within the stratified drift aquifer areas, these sand and gravel areas are dependent on the surface water flows that descend from these watershed divides.
Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 8
2.4. Surface Waters Table 2.2 The primary watercourses in Boscawen are the Merrimack Surface Waters in Boscawen River which the Town shares with Canterbury as its joint Rivers & Brooks Size Notes boundary, and a short section of the Contoocook River Tannery Brook 5.81 miles Largest drainage area in Boscawen where it converges with the Merrimack. These rivers total Cold Brook 3.2 miles Tannery Brook over 11 miles in length in Boscawen. Yet the Town hosts tributary Moore’s Brook 0.97 miles Joins Tannery over 20 miles of smaller watercourses, the most prominent Glines’ Brook 2.38 miles Joins Merrimack including Tannery Brook as well as Beaverdam Brook which Beaverdam Brook 6.98 miles Forms boundary with Webster forms the Town line with Webster. Stirrup Iron Brook 1.18 miles Historical features Cabot Brook 3.98 miles Historical features Merrimack River 10.4 miles Forms boundary About 32 miles of named flowing brooks and rivers with Canterbury. travel within and through Boscawen. Drains in Newburyport, MA Contoocook River 0.9 miles Flows northeast to There are also numerous unnamed and perennial streams, drains into Merrimack River in brooks, and ponds located throughout Boscawen. The Penacook largest pond is Walker Pond, about half of which resides in Total Miles 31.82 Ponds Size Notes Webster, as well as Patenaude’s Pond which is privately Flaghole 70 acres Privately owned owned on an approximate 1,000 acre parcel. (Patenaude’s) Pond Walker Pond 95 acres Shared with Webster (190 ac) Flanders’ Pond 15 acres Of Tannery Brook About 197 acres of named ponds are located in County Farm Pond N/A Of Glines Brook Boscawen. Moore’s Pond 1 acre Of Choate’s Brook Couch Pond (Little 1.4 acres Along Beaverdam Pond) Brook NH RSA 483-B, the Shoreland Water Quality Protection Morse Hill Pond 15 acres Of Tannery Brook (SWQPA) Act, provides regulations for protected shoreland Total Acres 197.4 and streams which includes the Merrimack River and Source: Boscawen Master Plan, CNHRPC compiled data Contoocook River. The accompanying NH Code of Administrative Rules Env-Wq 1400 (SWQPA) can be found at: https://www.des.nh.gov/organization/commissioner/legal/rules/documents/env-wq1400.pdf.
In 1990, Town Meeting voted to support the designation of the Upper Merrimack River into the National Wild and Scenic Rivers program which would have placed protections upon the river. The article failed to pass. A few years later, the Upper Merrimack River was accepted into the NHDES Rivers Management and Protection Program, which affords the riverfront communities, including Boscawen, provides some protective measures and additional local control of activities within the river corridor. Both the Merrimack River and Contoocook Rivers and “designated rivers.”
Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 9
Riparian and Wetland Buffers A wetland buffer is a naturally vegetated upland area adjacent to a wetland or surface water. Riparian buffers are those vegetated areas along rivers and streams. Riparian buffers act as living filters that protect surface water quality, in turn helping to preserve our state's high-quality lakes and rivers. The Merrimack River is the predominant surface water in Boscawen, although the Town has many miles of brooks and large acreage of ponds.
The Town does not have hydrologic buffers within their zoning ordinance for wetlands or streams, which would provide additional protections to the waterbodies and the watersheds. In 2016, the Town’s Subdivision Regulations contained a 100’ wetlands buffer. The Planning Board held a hearing to place the buffer instead within the Zoning Ordinance. However, the wetlands buffer was downsized to 25’ and the Zoning article passed within the cluster development ordinance.
A setback is a distance requirement from wetlands or surface waters for specific activities such as construction or septic systems. A buffer is a land management practice leaving a naturally vegetated or wetland area protected.
A 2019 fact sheet from the Connecticut River Joint Commission entitled The Importance of Riparian Buffers for Your Land and Your Environment is available for public outreach at: https://www.des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/dwgb/dwspp/riparian-buffer-gap-anlys.htm.
The NH Department of Environmental Services Riparian Buffer Analysis of 2008 provides a study for the protection of buffers not covered under the Shoreland Water Quality Protection Act to protect water quality which are. See: https://www.des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/dwgb/dwspp/riparian-buffer-gap-anlys.htm.
Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 10
WHAT ARE NH’S WETLAND SETBACKS? NHDES FAQ
https://www.des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/wetlands/categories/faq.htm#faq3
Under NH Wetlands Law 482-A:1, there are no setbacks for wetlands unless they are acted upon. Several specific resource types in NH have buffers, which are added levels of protection.
Prime Wetlands: Under RSA 482-A:15. Several municipalities in NH have "Designated Prime Wetlands." - Some municipally designated prime wetlands have a 100 foot prime wetland buffer zone.
Waterbodies protected under the Shoreland Water Quality Protection Act (SWQPA) RSA 483-B. All lakes and ponds greater than 10 acres, all 4th order and greater streams and rivers and all waterbodies subject to the tide are protected under the SWQPA: - 50 foot primary structure setback. - 20 foot accessory structure setback. - Limitations on removing vegetation adjacent to these waterbodies.
Tidal Buffer Zone in SWQPA. The area extending landward 100 feet from the highest observable tide line. - 100 foot TBZ This area can contain wetlands, transitional areas, and natural and developed uplands. - 250 Protected Tidal Zone
Septic Systems under RSA 485-A. NHDES Subsurface Systems Bureau requires that new septic systems are installed: - 75 feet from wetlands having very poorly drained soils. - 50 feet from wetlands having poorly drained soils. In the protected shoreland, if the soil is a porous the setback is at least 125 feet from the reference line of the waterbody.
Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 11
2.5. Aquifers/Groundwater There are two types of groundwater sources from which Boscawen obtains its water, bedrock aquifers and stratified drift aquifers. The ability of the varying bedrock types to yield drinking water supplies are irregular. This yield is referred to as “transmissivity.” Bedrock aquifer well yields are positively correlated with proximity to water and lineaments, and negatively to slope/elevation and the Plutonic bedrock group.1 Because much of Boscawen is at high elevation on steep slopes and is underlain by Plutonic Spaulding Tonalite bedrock (49% of the Town), less water is available at these heights, including Water Street and High Street. These geological factors Aquifer transmissivity is the rate at which groundwater contribute to some of the historical problems related travels horizontally through an aquifer, usually to water quantity and pumping within rural areas. expressed as square feet per day.
Bedrock Aquifers Over the course of several hundred years, the melting Wisconsin ice sheet deposited layer after layer of sands and gravels along the major waterways of New Hampshire. During periods of meltwater, finer silts and clays were also deposited. Glacial Lake Merrimack was once located in the present Merrimack River valley where dozens of feet of deposition now lie. After half a millennium of melting and siltation patterning these layers of soils, the soils were eroded over the last nearly 12,000 years. Steep sandy banks of the Merrimack River were exposed for the first time as material was exposed by this erosion. These water-bearing layers range from 40 feet- to 80 feet- deep in some locations and are now known as stratified drift aquifers.2 The two highest transmissivity areas in Boscawen are situated along the fourth meanders of the Merrimack River in a northerly direction, under the Northern Rail Trail and appear untouched from present-day development. These areas have been placed under conservation (Sanborn Agricultural Preservation Restriction and the Merrimack River State Forest), although their restrictions may not be permanent or specifically protect groundwater.
About 3,400 acres of stratified drift aquifer underlie 21% of the Town’s total area. The majority of Boscawen’s aquifers, 3,272 acres, transfer less than 1,000 square feet of water per day.
For the purposes of the co-occurrence mapping, bedrock geology with its bedrock aquifers is not a data layer which is typically mapped. The stratified drift aquifer data layer performs this purpose. Yet Boscawen should be aware of the bedrock limitations in Town that restrict easy access to water.
1 USGS Moore 2002 2 USGS Ayotte and Toppin 1995 Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 12
Stratified Drift Aquifers Table 2.3 The stratified drift aquifers in Boscawen have transmissivity rates that range Stratified Drift Aquifer Transmissivity from greater than 4,000 square feet squared per day (sf2/day), decreasing Yield Range 2 Acres in 2 in sqft per down to less than 1,000 sf /day. Overall, there is almost 3,400 acres of Boscawen day stratified drift aquifer in Town, covering about 21% of the Town’s area. The < 1,000 3,272 highest yield (>4,000 sf2/day) totals a very small acreage, only 13 acres, while 1,000 – 2,000 39 2,000 – 4,000 50 the second highest yield area (2,000- 4,000 sf2/day) is only 50 acres in size. > 4,000 13 Source: USGS Aquifer Transmissivity Data Layer
Less than 1% of Boscawen’s aquifers transfer more than 1,000 sq ft2 of water per day. These 102 acres are the Town’s most important aquifers.
The stratified drift aquifers are portrayed in Figure 2.1 as the unconfined aquifer most easily accessed and recharged close to the earth’s surface. The bedrock aquifers are portrayed as the confined aquifers which are more difficult to access and require centuries to millennia to recharge with water.
Figure 2.1 Groundwater Recharge Flow
Source: USGS Conceptual Groundwater Flow Diagram as modified by CNHRPC
Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 13
2.6. Floodplains A floodplain is the low lying ground adjacent to rivers that is prone to flooding. Flood hazard areas that have a one percent chance of being inundated by a flood event in any given year are commonly referred to as the 100-year floodplain. The flood hazard areas with a 0.2% chance of annual flooding are often referred to as the 500-year floodplain. The Boscawen Hazard Mitigation Plan 2018 described the floodplain in detail, provided a series of recommendations, and Figure 2.2 NFIP Floodplains along US 3 & US 4 Intersection developed a series of maps. The Town does have a Floodplain Development Ordinance which regulates development in these areas. The approximate assessment of existing structures in the floodplain, single family and non- residential buildings, totals over $8.8 million3.
Locations of 1% annual chance of flooding include the Merrimack River along King Street deep into the ox-bow lands, the Contoocook River along Eel and Tremont Streets, along wetlands on the southwestern side of Town, Source: FEMA Digital Flood Rate Insurance Map #D33013C-0309, 2010 along Tannery Brook and its wetlands between Water Street and US 4, and around Walker Pond and Pond Brook – in fact following most of the Boscawen-Webster boundary. Locations of the 0.2% annual chance are along most of the brooks in Town and along the more developed river meanders of the Merrimack River.
3 Boscawen Hazard Mitigation Plan 2018 Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 14
2.7. Wetlands Table 2.4 In New Hampshire, wetlands are defined as “an area that is inundated or National Wetlands saturated by surface water or groundwater at a frequency and duration Inventory Total sufficient to support, and under normal conditions do support, a prevalence of Wetland Acreage % of Class vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soils conditions.” Wetlands are Town not always wet, but they generally include familiar places such as marshes, wet Palustrine 888.0 5.5% Lacustrine 136.8 0.8% meadows, beaver impoundments, swamps, fens, bogs, vernal pools and the Riverine 209.7 1.3% surroundings of other surface water bodies. Wetlands perform a variety of Total 1,234.5 7.6% ecological functions, such as providing significant habitats for wildlife and Source: NWI Data Layer plants, maintaining good water quality, providing storage during a flood event, and as sources for recreation. Boscawen’s wetlands are depicted on the Water Resources Map.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Wetland Inventory contains three classifications of wetlands, palustrine (marshes or swamps and trees), lacustrine (around lakes and of a shallow depth), and riverine (connected by rivers). Of Boscawen’s 16,252 total acres, 7.6% (1,235 acres) are wetlands.
About 8% (1,235 acres) of the Town is classified as wetlands.
Boscawen’s cluster developments require a 25’ setback from jurisdictional wetlands (Boscawen Zoning Ordinance, Section 14.02 Conditional Use Permit Required) as does the new Land Development Regulations in their definitions. There are no other building setbacks from wetlands. State protection is minimal, so local regulation will enable wetlands and their unique habitat to remain untouched by development.
Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 15
2.8. Public Water Supplies Boscawen has several critical public water supplies, including the three Merrimack County wells along the Wellhead Protection Areas (WHPA) are the locations under which groundwater flows to a producing well. Merrimack River intervale within the County’s complex, and the Penacook-Boscawen Water Precinct that delivers water to the Main Street, King Street, and Water Street areas. The unusual provision of municipal water in a rural location such as Water Street is imperative because of the lack of water available in western Boscawen. With no stratified drift aquifer in this location, the land is underlain by Spaulding-Tonalite Bedrock which is not conducive to groundwater collection. Refer to the bedrock geology sections in this NRI for further description.
Much of the Town relies on agriculture for personal and economic sustenance. Sometimes, agriculture and public water supplies can conflict. Unfiltered runoff and water supply contamination are common from agricultural areas that utilize pesticides, herbicides, and which may have livestock in the vicinity of a waterbody. Other public water supply contamination comes from ageing and underperforming septic systems, land use intensity, and location, and through the presence of highways (salt, oil, gas, etc) and railroads.
Private and residential wells can also have similar pollutants, plus radon and arsenic from the bedrock. Well owners are encouraged by the Town to test their wells every few years.
The Penacook-Boscawen Water Precinct is under the management of Water System Operator, Inc as of January 2018 to ensure monitoring, system reporting, and handling of violations as required by the NH Department of Environmental Services (NHDES). The Water Precinct’s website is https://boscawenwater.com.
The NH Department of Environmental Services hosts the numerous administrative rules for water quality and quantity at https://www.des.nh.gov/organization/commissioner/legal/rules/index.htm#waterq.
Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 16
3. Agriculture and Forestry Resources Co-Occurrence
Boscawen is home to many productive agricultural farms, orchards, tree farms, hay fields, and nurseries that sell their products locally or to out-of-Town distribution centers. The Town has an Agricultural Commission which researches, supports, and promotes local farms and farm products. A list of the active agricultural operations and their products along with the respective tax map and lot numbers can be found in the Boscawen Master Plan 2018.
In the Agriculture Weighting Map, the highest value agriculture lands are located within the Merrimack River intervales, along Water Street and North Water Street, at the Merrimack County Farm, and along High Street. These are the primary existing locations agricultural operations.
Survey results and Conservation Commission discussions revealed that agriculture, active farmland, and farms were very important to the Town of Boscawen. The agriculture category makes up 23% of the total co-occurrence score for Boscawen.
3.1. Agriculture Input Value Scores and Co-Occurrence Results
Farm Soils: The Merrimack County Soils Survey identifies various soil types that are considered the best soils for agricultural purposes. Soils categorized as “Prime Farmland Soils” are scored 8 points, and “Soils of Statewide Importance” 5 points.
Forestry Soils: The Merrimack County Soils Survey also identifies soils that are most productive for forestry purposes. The best forestry soils, groups IA and IB soils, are assigned 2 points.
Agricultural Land: The Central NH Regional Planning Commission maintains a Land Use layer for the Town of Boscawen, where all land is categorized into various land uses, from residential, to commercial, to agricultural. The Agricultural lands layer
Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 17 used in this analysis is derived from this land use layer, and includes any agricultural land, maintained fields, and orchards in the Town of Boscawen. Agricultural lands are assigned 8 points.
Agriculture Co-Occurrence Results: The co-occurrence results of the Agricultural related layers highlights areas along Water Street, along the Merrimack River near King and River Streets, as well as a number of smaller areas in the northern half of Boscawen. These lands are likely to have a strong agricultural value and should be targeted for conservation if preserving agriculture and agricultural lands is a goal.
3.2. Agricultural Operations There are around 25 agricultural operations such as active farms, nurseries and orchards in Boscawen that cover about 3,589 acres, or 22% of the Town. The types of farming include dairy, livestock, beef, corn, produce, eggs, flowers, horses, maple syrup, trees and shrubs, and hay fields. Over 2,000 acres (12% of the Town) support hay fields, silage, and corn fields. The Agricultural Land Map shows active fields and orchards undergoing agricultural activity and includes many of these operations.
About 22% (3,589 acres) of the Town is used for active agricultural purposes.
Most of this agricultural land (63%) is used for hay or timber products, nurseries or for equine purposes. The remaining farms (37% of all agricultural lands, or 8% of the Town) produce food for human consumption, such as produce, dairy, poultry, beef, and more.
About 8% (1,336 acres) of the Town is used to grow fruits, vegetables, and animal products.
Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 18
3.3. Important Farmland Soils The Prime Farmland Soils Map displays the locations of the highest quality soils in Town. The farms located along the Merrimack River, North Water Street, High Street, and Daniel Webster Highway (US 3) are situated within these most productive areas.
Approximately 9% (1,407 acres) of the soils in Boscawen are prime farmlands.
Table 3.1 Prime Farmland Soils Prime farmland soils are the Total Map Hydrologic Drain highest category of Full Soils Name Acreage % of Symbol Rating Class Town important farmlands and 101A Ondawa very fine Not Hydric Well drained 221.6 15.7% comprise 9% of the Town. sandy loam, 0 to 3 percent slopes, Farmland soils categorized frequently flooded* 104A Podunk fine sandy Partially Moderately 56.1 4.0% of statewide importance are loam, 0 to 3 percent Hydric well drained slopes, frequently also located in Boscawen, flooded* 166B Canterbury fine sandy Partially Well drained 62.7 4.5% adding another 4% (685 loam, 3 to 8 percent Hydric acres). The most productive slopes 201A Ondawa very fine Partially Well drained 368.7 26.2% agricultural operations are sandy loam, 0 to 3 Hydric percent slopes, located within one of these occasionally flooded 478B Gilmanton fine sandy Partially Moderately 498.1 35.4% soils groupings, although loam, 3 to 8 percent Hydric well drained slopes operations can still occur in 48A Madawaska loamy Partially Moderately 144.6 10.3% locally important soils. sand, 0 to 3 percent Hydric well drained slopes 64A Groveton fine sandy Not Hydric Well drained 55.5 3.9% loam, 0 to 3 percent slopes Total 1,407.3 8.7% * if protected from flooding or not frequently flooded during the growing season Source: Merrimack-Belknap County Soils Survey, 2017
Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 19
3.4. Forestry Soils Of Boscawen’s 16,252 total acres, 6,772 acres are contained within about 75 lots which are used as vacant wood lots. Of these properties, 3,999 acres are categorized as managed forest property according to assessing records. Most of the managed woodlands produce hard and soft wood timber and cordwood, as indicated by the Master Plan’s Natural Resources Chapter, although some are shared for hay crops. While the Town has about 1,650 total parcels, these 75 wood lots covering 42% of the Town illustrate the importance of forestry in Boscawen and the rural nature of the community.
About 42% (6,772 acres) of the Town is used for forestry purposes.
Soils types can support more than one kind of use, so many soils are concurrent with agricultural and/or forestry soils. Over 89% of the Town’s soils are suitable for tree growth. The Forestry Soils Map displays the locations of Boscawen’s forest soils by forest groups. The dominant forest soils types are Group IA (34%) and Group IB (31%) which better support hardwood varieties. The Group IIB poorly drained soils (9%) support northern spruce and fir and appear along the Town’s streams and waterbodies.
Table 3.2 Forestry Soils The white pine soils of Group IC (11%) Total Forest Types of Definition Acreage % of are located along the Merrimack River, Group Wood Town King Street, and the junctions of US Group IA Deeper loamy soils, Prime 5,504.6 33.9% Routes 3 and 4 in the most developed moderately- to well- northern areas of Town. drained hardwood Group IB Sandy or loamy soils, Oak & beech 5,068.1 31.2% moderately- to well- drained Group IC Outwash sands & White pine 1,699.7 10.5% gravel Group 1A &1B with Northern 836.2 5.1% IIA limitations (very hardwood steep, shallow, or rocky) Group Poorly drained soils Northern 1,425.5 8.8% IIB spruce & fir Total 14,534.1 89.4%
Source: Merrimack-Belknap County Soils Survey, 2017
Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 20
4. Land, Historic and Recreational Resources Co-Occurrence
Inventories of the conservation lands, historic resources, and recreational resources are available in the Boscawen Master Plan 2018. Trails, historic and cultural sites, and places important to the community are considered. This NRI seeks to use that information to make better informed decisions about future preservation of the most important areas in Town.
The Recreation and Cultural Resources Weighting Map helps highlight areas that contribute to the Town’s recreational and cultural qualities. Survey results and Conservation Commission discussions indicated that while scenic, recreational, historic, and cultural significance was important to the Town, it was more of a contributing factor rather than a primary driver in determining priorities for land conservation. The category makes up 8% of the total co-occurrence score for Boscawen.
4.1. Cultural and Recreational Resource Input Value Scores and Co-Occurrence Results Recreational Trails 200’ Buffer: The Survey and Conservation commission feedback indicated trails are highly valued by Boscawen Residents. The Northern Rail Trial in particular received many mentions in the Survey. A complete inventory of trails is not available, and only public trails are included in this analysis. A 200’ buffer from these trails are assigned a value score of 2.
Historic and Cultural Sites 300’ Buffer: The presence of historic or cultural sites often contributes to appeals to conserve properties. A database of historical and cultural sites was developed and reviewed, based on lists included in past planning documents. A 300’ buffer from these sites is included in the analysis and assigned a value score of 2.
Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 21
Public Input Additions: After reviewing the survey, a few areas of Town were identified as being particularly important. This included an agricultural field off Water Street, the area around Walker Pond, the Northern Rail Trail, and Jamie Welch Memorial Field. A data layer was developed to delineate these areas and was assigned a value score of 4.
Scenic Views and Vistas: For multiple reasons, this analysis did not directly include scenic views and vistas. First, it was difficult to determine coverage of a viewshed with accuracy. Attempts to draw one appeared arbitrary, and sophisticated viewshed analysis were beyond the scope of this project. It was difficult to identify and score which particular views and which aspects of a view was prized. Second, it appeared that scenic values came into play through other categories. For example, agriculture was highly prized by Boscawen residents in part because of the scenic views the fields offer. Third, the areas that appeared to have the highest scenic value were already scored very highly on the co-occurrence map for other categories. Scenic views were valued by residents based on the survey, but appeared less prominent than other categories. For these reasons, a basic scenic views and map was created, but were not included in the co-occurrence analysis.
Cultural and Recreational Co-Occurrence Results: The co-occurrence results of the Cultural and Recreational layers highlight the areas specifically identified as important in the Survey and the historic and cultural sites in Town. It has a relatively small impact on the final co-occurrence scoring and map as compared to four other natural resource categories (Agriculture, Groundwater, Surface Water, and Wildlife Habitat).
Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 22
4.2. Conservation and Public Lands There are over 40 conservation or public lands in Boscawen as displayed on the Conservation and Public Lands Map. These properties, which may or may not be permanently preserved, include conservation easements, deed restrictions, scenic easements, and open space. These areas are located in the four corners of the community and along the edges, leaving vast swathes of unprotected land in the middle of the community. Many of the Town’s significant waterbodies, such as Flaghole Pond, Merrimack River, Contoocook River, Tannery Brook, and others are not surrounded by conservation easement. Conservation lands with 1,000’ buffers are included in the co- occurrence analysis as part of the Wildlife Habitat category.
About 20% (3,238 acres) of the Town’s land is considered under conservation. Of this, over 2% (379 acres) of land is owned by the Town of Boscawen in fee ownership that may not have protective deed restrictions.
A conservation easement is a permanent legal
restriction against future development and other activities on a parcel as specified in the conservation easement deed.
Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 23
4.3. Current Use Current use provides a lower tax rate for land over 10 acres utilized for a non-residential purpose. Rules produced by the NH Department of Revenue Administration and assessment ranges change annually. Over the last decade in Boscawen from 2008 through 2018, the total acreage of land in current use has fluctuated little, with a net gain of 259 acres. In 2008, 9,805 acres (60% of the Town) were under current use where by the end of 2018, about 10,064 acres (62% of the Town) were under current use. This indicates consistent development trends during the last decade, as more acres were placed under current use instead of removed from the program.
Table 4.1 Conversely, the number of acres receiving the extra 20% current Current Use (CU) Trends use discount for permitting recreational use on their property Acres with Total Total % 20% has dropped by a net 641 acres. Data for 2017 and 2018 were Year Acres of Town Recreational not available. In 2008, 7,370 acres (45% of the Town) received in CU in CU Discount the 20% recreational discount while in 2016, 6,729 acres (41% 2008 9,805.1 7,370.4 60.3% of the Town) received the discount. The slowly rising number of 2009 9,881.0 7,424.0 60.8% 2010 9,895.0 7,421.9 60.9% acres in current use with the declining recreational discount 2011 9,921.2 7,443.6 61.0% may be indicative of property owners feeling it is more 2012 9,909.4 7,281.4 61.0% beneficial to maintain privacy or perceived safety than be open 2013 9,928.0 7,055.0 61.1% 2014 9,927.4 6,972.9 61.1% to hunting or hiking on their land. Still, with a fairly consistent 2015 9,937.3 6,735.3 61.1% 62% of Town land under current use, these lands may not be 2016 9,923.6 6,729.3 61.1% prioritized for future development. 2017 10,056.7 N/A 61.9% 2018 10,063.9 N/A 61.9% Source: Boscawen Master Plan 2018, CNHRPC compiled research from Town Reports
About 62% (10,064 acres) of the Town is under current use while about 41% (6,729 acres) receives the 20% recreational discount).
Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 24
4.4. Recreational Trails Boscawen hosts both a local trails system within the Boscawen Town Forest and the most southern section of the Northern Rail Trail, which is maintained by the NH State Parks and local trail advocates. Some of Boscawen’s trails are displayed on the Trails Map, however GIS map data is not available for all public trails in Boscawen, and a number of informal trails exist on private property are also not mapped. The Class VI Weir Road Town Forest trails total approximately 5 miles of easy, moderate, and difficult climbs along the Dagody Hill Loop Trail, Colby Trail, Blue Ridge Trail, Hirst Marsh Trail, and other trail loops. They follow Old Weir Road into Concord and connect to the Hirst Wildlife Management Area. The Northern Rail Trail with its trailheads on River Road and Depot Street attracts bicyclists, walkers, snowmobiles, and other users from across the State, heading 56 miles northwest into Lebanon.
About 13 miles of recreational trails in Boscawen give users a local experience at the Town Forest (5 miles) and connect to a wider network via the paved or packed stone dust Northern Rail Trail (8 miles).
4.5. Historic and Cultural Sites The Town has a rich history with important sites, buildings, monuments, or features throughout the community. As displayed on the Recreation and Cultural Resources Map, concentrations of sites are located along King Street, US 3 and US 4 and Water Street. These locations were just as important for the Town’s history as they are in today’s life. They include cemeteries, parks, farms, boat ramps, public sites, and old buildings.
4.6. Steep Slopes or Ridgelines The Topography and Scenic Vistas Map display the promontories in Boscawen. The highest locations often form ridges and valleys, such as Choate Hill and Colby Hill between US 3 and 4 or the unnamed ridge from Corn Hill Road to Flaghole Pond. There are ridgeline preservation and protection opportunities to be considered.
Steep slopes are a development constraint and are often defined as between 15% to 25% or greater. Watershed runoff is exaggerated by the presence of steep slopes without proper management. The greatest acreage of slopes are found on the sides of the named hills.
Boscawen does not have steep slope or ridgeline regulation.
Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 25
4.7. Scenic Views and Viewsheds Within its borders, Boscawen hosts a wide range of elevations, from under 300’ at the low-lying Merrimack River to the Town’s highest point on Raleigh Hill at 920’ above sea level. The Town is host to many hills, most A scenic views is the pleasing scenery as seen from of which are located on private property. The lowland areas, and a scenic viewshed is the view as seen Boscawen Hill can be climbed according to the Town from a promontory or high location in Town which may Forest guidelines. At any of these locations, scenic extend over many miles. viewsheds are identified in several directions. In addition, the roadside views of lowland areas also offer a rural, scenic beauty which could similarly be preserved for their scenic value.
About 12 named hills in Boscawen span from 380’ above sea level to 920’ above sea level.
Table 4.2 The Viewsheds Map shows the topography of Hills and Elevation Elevation Boscawen, which can indicate the location of hillside Name Above Location views. Scenic vistas of Walker Pond and Mount Sea Level Kearsarge are seen from promontories, as are views Between North Main Street Collins Hill 380' and King Street of the Merrimack County Farm. These vistas help Ariat Mountain West of King Street, section (aka The 580' define Boscawen’s identify. known as Windy Ghoul Mountain) Clark Hill (aka West Side of Lower King 600' Crete Hill) Street Southern Boundary Shared Dagody Hill 620' with Concord Clay Hill 640' North Bank of Corn Hill Colby Hill (aka 640' North of Colby residence Gerrish Hill) In Boscawen Town Forest, Boscawen Hill 680' Ledge Outcropping Knowlton Hill 760' Upper Queen Street Plummer Hill 780' Off Corn Hill Road Choate Hill (aka Between Daniel Webster 800' Poplar Hill) Highway and High Street Jackman Hill (aka 800' Chadwick Hill Road Chadwick Hill) North Water Street to Raleigh Hill 920' Salisbury Boundary Source: Boscawen Master Plan 2018, CNHRPC compiled research from topographic maps
Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 26
4.8. Bedrock Geology Underlying the community are formations of bedrock upon which forests, construction, roads, and hydrology rest. The Town resides on about half Plutonic & Volcanic rock (49%) and half Metasedimentary & Metavolcanic rock (51%). A map of bedrock geology could be produced with available data should the data layer not be present on another map in Town. The single largest type of bedrock is the Plutonic & Volcanic Spaulding Tonalite which is located under North Water Street and US 4 in the northwestern section of Town. Spaulding Tonalite extends west across US 3 to form the border of much of the Merrimack River in Boscawen.
Table 4.3 The characteristics of Spaulding Tonalite are weakly Bedrock Geology foliated to nonfoliated, with spotted biotite quartz Map Formation Type Total diorite, tonalite, granodiorite, and granite; garnet Code Acreage % of Town and muscovite may or may not be present. This type Dc1m Concord Granite (Late P 33 0% Devonian) of bedrock does not conduct groundwater aquifers. Dll Littleton Formation M 244 1% Ds1-6 Spaulding Tonalite (Early P 7,885 49% Devonian) Sm Madrid Formation M 1,138 7% About 49% (7,819 acres) of the Town is (Upper Silurian) underlain by Spaulding Tonalite bedrock, a Sp Perry Mountain M 4,224 26% type of Plutonic & Volcanic rock. Formation, undivided (Middle to Lower Silurian) Srl Lower Rangeley M 155 1% Formation Sru Upper Rangeley M 1,024 6% Formation Ssf Smalls Falls Formation, M 1,550 10% undivided (Upper to Middle Silurian; Ludlovian and Wenlockian) Total 16,252 100% P = Plutonic & Volcanic M = Metasedimentary and Metavolcanic Source: US Geological Survey
Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 27
5. Wildlife Habitat Resources Co-Occurrence
As a rural community with a low population density and large blocks of undeveloped land, Boscawen contains natural communities and habitats which are host to a wide variety of wildlife. The NH Fish and Game maintains a listing of species occurring in New Hampshire that are state- and federally- threatened and endangered, of special concern in the State, introduced species, and species of greatest conservation need. The species listing includes diadromous fish, freshwater fish, marine fish & marine invertebrates, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, mussels, insects, and birds. The NH Rare Plants, Animals, and Exemplary Natural Communities document was updated in May 2020 and contains town by town lists of species, including those for Boscawen. The Hirst Wildlife Management Area in Boscawen is owned by NH Fish and Game for the purpose of protecting and improving the wildlife habitat. Threatened and endangered species as well as more common wildlife require a range of habitat types and scales.
5.1. Wildlife Habitat Input Value Scores and Co-Occurrence Results
Wildlife Action Plan: The Wildlife Action plan is a dataset developed by New Hampshire Fish and Game to show areas with the highest quality wildlife habitat. This layer is the most heavily weighted data layer in this category as it represents areas of important habitat better than any other layer. Three different categories in this data layer are used, the highest being “Highest Ranked Habitat in NH” (10), then “Highest Ranked Habitat in Ecological Region” (5), and “Supporting Landscapes” (3). More information on the Wildlife Action Plan dataset can be found on the NH Fish and Game website.
Unfragmented Lands: This dataset developed by CNHRPC breaks the Town of Boscawen into blocks of land unfragmented by roads, development, or human activities. Large areas of land that are not broken up by roads or other human disturbances are important for a range of species and thus have a higher value then smaller blocks of undeveloped land. The unfragmented lands layers includes a 500’ impact buffer from all roads. Unfragmented blocks with 5,000 acres or more are assigned the highest value score (6), and blocks between 2,000-5,000 were assigned a lower score (3). Boscawen is unique in that it has unusually large areas of unbroken landscapes when compared to neighboring communities. Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 28
Conservation Land Buffer 1,000’: Lands adjacent to existing conservation land were assigned a value score of 4. Having larger continuous areas of conserved space has a higher total habitat value than multiple fragmented open spaces. Some wildlife species require large areas of land undisturbed by human activities.
Wildlife Habitat Co-Occurrence Results: The co-occurrence results of the wildlife habitat related layers shows high habitat value lands in the large, unbroken block of land in the southwest corner of Boscawen, an area of north-central Boscawen, along the portions of the Merrimack River, and along streams including Glines Brook and others. Areas in reds, oranges, and yellows on the map show the areas of the higher habitat value, where the higher scored data inputs coincide.
Wildlife Habitat was deemed very important to the Town of Boscawen in the Survey and by Conservation Commission members, and so the Wildlife Habitat category makes up 31% of the total co-occurrence score for Boscawen.
5.2. Unfragmented Blocks The main factor influencing the use of forest lands for timber products and wildlife habitat range is the level of fragmentation on the landscape. Fragmenting features such as roads, residential development, commercial and industrial activity have been prevalent on the New Hampshire landscape since early settlement years. The location of unfragmented lands, the land blocks not separated by roads, houses or other human development, was determined for Boscawen and the surrounding communities.
Boscawen is a rural community with most of its development concentrated along the main routes and Class V Town roads. By conducting a GIS operation of buffering publicly maintained roadways by 400’, an unfragmented lands inventory was conducted. In Boscawen, this operation excludes Class VI unmaintained roads, except for Marlborough Road, which was determined to have nearby human activity. These large blocks connect regionally to the surrounding communities’ unfragmented lands, thereby increasing the overall natural resource value of the regional block. See the Unfragmented Lands Map for visual detail.
Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 29
The largest unfragmented block totals 3,197 acres within Boscawen and is situated in the area surrounding the Boscawen Town Forest and the private Patenaude Pond, spanning from the Concord and Webster Town line to Corn Hill Road, and then to King Street and Queen Street. This extraordinary area is also regionally significant, totaling 5,167 acres in Webster, Concord, and Boscawen Table 5.1 combined. The second largest unfragmented land block of Unfragmented Blocks 2,227 acres is located between High Street and Daniel Block Location >= Locally Regionally Webster Highway, from Goodhue Road to the Salisbury Town 120 Acres Significant Significant Acreage Acreage line. This block is the second largest regionally significant Corn Hill Rd - Weir Rd 3,196.5 5,116.6 unfragmented land area at a total of 2,933 acres in Salisbury High St - DW Hwy 2,226.8 2,933.1 and Boscawen. Several other unfragmented blocks of over Corn Hill Rd - Long St 1,860.1 2,684.5 1,000 acres are located in Boscawen between the main N Water St - High St 1,821.0 1,964.5 public roads. Queen St - N Main St 1,023.8 0.0 East of DW Hwy 718.2 2,408.3 West of Water St - N 714.9 2,548.2 About 33% (5,423 acres) of the Town is contained Water St within the two largest blocks of local unfragmented Two Southern 498.0 1,383.3 lands. Merrimack River StirrupMeanders Iron Rd - DW 120.2 1,763.4 Hwy Totals 12,179.4 20,802.0
Source: CNHRPC GIS Calculations Using Road Buffers, 2019
Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 30
5.3. Wildlife Action Plan (WAP) Habitats Table 5.2 The NH Wildlife Action Plan 2015 (WAP) is an important Wildlife Action Plan Habitats component of the Boscawen NRI. Using the habitats identified Percentage in Town, the dominant hemlock-hardwood-pine forest hosts Habitat Acres of Town species such as bats, eagles, songbirds, snakes, moose, turtles, Acres Hemlock-hardwood- 7,058.1 43.4% and salamanders. The Appalachian oak-pine forest hosts pine similar species. Covering nearly 75% of Boscawen’s land area, Appalachian oak-pine 4,808.4 29.6% Grassland 1,712.9 10.5% these two forests also represent essential habitat to large- Developed or Barren 1,011.5 6.2% roaming mammals such as bobcat, moose, bear, black bear, Temperate swamp 542.0 3.3% owls, lynx, deer, and others. State-endangered Blanding’s Marsh and shrub 531.5 3.3% Turtle, Timber Rattlesnake, Common Nighthawk, New England wetland Water 404.1 2.5% Cottontail need Boscawen’s forest habitat for survival. Peatland 84.5 0.5%
Floodplain forest 77.4 0.5% The WAP utilized the newest available satellite imagery Rocky ridge 16.9 0.1% resources and techniques to determine the locations and Cliff and talus slope 8.5 0.1% acreages of priority habitat areas. Source: NH Wildlife Action Plan 2015
Table 5.3
Wildlife Action Plan Habitat Priorities
Percent Percent of Tier of Tier Priority Acres Protected Town The Wildlife Action Plan places its priority habitat Acres Acres areas into three categories: Tier 1 Acres 6,194.0 ---- 38.1% Tier 1 is the highest ranked habitat in NH by Tier 1 Acres ecological condition. Protected 1,456.0 23.5% --- Tier 2 is the Highest ranked habitat in biological (Conservation) regions (ecoregions or watershed groups). Tier 2 Acres 2,522.0 ---- 15.5% Tier 3 is the supporting landscapes (other significant Tier 2 Acres habitat, regional-scale). Protected 586.0 23.2% --- (Conservation) Tier 3 Acres 3,168.0 ---- 19.5% Tier 3 Acres Protected 586.0 18.5% --- (Conservation) Total Tier Habitat 11,884.0 ---- 73.1% Priority Acreage Total Tier Habitat 2,628.0 22.1% Protected Acreage Source: NH Wildlife Action Plan 2015
Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 31
The locations of the highest priority habitat (Tier 1) are found along the Merrimack River corridor and within its oxbows, along Stirrup Iron Brook, Pond Brook, Tannery Brook, along the sides of North Water Street and Water Street, around Clark Hill, and the entire southwestern section of Town from Corn Hill Road to Hirst Marsh. The Tier 2 locations are generally along the periphery of the Tier 1 habitats.
About 24% (1,456 acres) of the Tier 1 highest priority habitat is protected by conservation, while the remaining 76% (4,738 acres) of highest priority habitat is vulnerable to development.
Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 32
6. Conclusion and NRI Recommendations
The NRI Maps and data have helped highlight lands that are likely to best meet the Town’s conservation priorities. The details of the natural resources and their contributions to the Town of Boscawen also lead to a series of more detailed recommendations.
6.1. Weighted Co-Occurrence Analysis The Weighted Co-Occurrence Map visually displays the highest priority natural resource locations in the community. The analysis found the most essential locations in Boscawen to protect for future generations include the drinking water wells, Merrimack River corridor and intervales, Tannery Brook, Beaverdam Brook, Cold Brook, Hirst Wildlife Management Area, locations along Water Street, and a large block of unfragmented land in the Town’s southwest corner. When overlaid with existing conservation lands, it is revealed that much of the lands that support the highest natural resource value to the Town are not presently conserved.
Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 33
6.2. NRI Recommendations As a result of reviewing the NRI data, following are potential recommendations for Boscawen to better protect its natural resources. The recommendations are based on the Town’s values, the location of each resource, and a brief overview of local policies and regulations. Many of the recommendations overlap and apply to more than one nature resource group.
1. Protect the high value aquifers by permanently conserving the lands above and surrounding them. The highest value drinking water supplies are 1) in the vicinity of the Merrimack County wells, 2) the area of the US 3 and US 4 intersection east to the Merrimack River 3) the intervale directly north and along the Northern Rail Trail, 4) generally along the intervales of the Merrimack River and 5) along Tannery Brook between Water Street and High Street. These high value drinking water areas of high transmissivity should be targeted for future protection if they are found not to be permanently conserved.
2. Research and enact building setbacks from wetlands. Boscawen Planning Board’s new Land Development Regulations, Definitions and the Zoning Ordinance, Article 14.02, b) (8) both require a 25’ setback from jurisdictional wetlands but there are no other building setbacks from wetlands. Many communities have zoning ordinance wetland setbacks of 75’ or greater. This might be an ordinance to further research and place before Town voters.
3. Include riparian and wetland buffers in the Zoning Ordinance. Buffers work by filtering sediment from runoff, filtering pollution and chemicals, regulating stream flow to recharge groundwater, stabilizing streambanks to reduce erosion, providing wildlife habitat, supporting aquatic habitat, providing recreation opportunities, and improving aesthetics around surface waters. After factoring in the Shoreland Water Quality Protection Act, conservation Table 6.1 land abutment, and typical municipal buffers, the NH Riparian Buffer Gap Protection Levels Level of Buffer Department of Environmental Services developed Description of Buffer Protection Protection suggested local buffer protections of surface waters, 1. High Land Conservation > 300 ft 2. Medium to High Land Conservation > 100 ft and <= 300 ft called the Riparian Buffer Gap Analysis. 3. Medium CSPA Buffer Protection 4. Medium to Low Local Zoning buffer > 100 ft 5. Low Local Zoning Buffer > 50 ft and < 100 ft 6. None No Buffer Protection Source: NH DES Riparian Buffer Gap Analysis, https://www.des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/dwgb/d wspp/documents/riparian-buffer.pdf
Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 34
The recommended levels of riparian buffer gap Runoff into Surface and Groundwater protection of surface waters are as follows in Table 6.1. The conservation land under consideration are those that are adjacent to surface waters. A good local informative resource, Buffer Options for the (NH) Bay at https://www.bufferoptionsnh.org/ provides explanations, references, and guidance for establishing municipal buffers in New Hampshire.
4. Purchase conservation land or procure Source: USGS Factsheet, Monitoring for Pesticides in Groundwater and Surface Water 2008 conservation easements in the floodplain. The benefits are multiple when land in the floodplain is permanently protected from development. Conservation land in the floodplain provide additional water capacity during flood events, protects unique habitat communities along waterbodies, enables channel movement without harm to structures, and as a safety measure to ensure people do not build in the floodplains in the future and are subject to flood loss.
5. Ensure those who manage their land as woodlots for timber harvesting utilize best management practices. Encourage the development of forest management plans, perhaps on an incentive basis. Town staff should pursue the opportunity for education when a property owner files an “Intent to Cut”. The use of best management practices and developing forest management plans will help ensure the rich forest soils are not degraded or do not runoff in the watershed, and can provide habitat for wildlife.
6. Ensure the active agriculture operations do not negatively impact the aquifers, surface waters, and drinking water supplies. The Town has an Agricultural Commission which advocates for agricultural operations. Best management practices should be utilized during land management. Education and incentives could be used to help keep the herbicides, pesticides, and livestock from infiltrating the water supplies.
7. Consider regulation of ridgelines and steep slopes to help protect Boscawen’s viewsheds and reduce rainwater runoff. A Steep Slopes Conservation District and/or Ridgeline Conservation District, both zoning overlay districts, could be used to define areas in Town where closer regulation is necessary. Elevation change of 20 feet or greater and the average slope of 20 percent or greater are good measures of steep slopes.
Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 35
8. Utilize opportunities to permanently protect Boscawen’s cultural and historical heritage sites. Grant programs are available for purchase and renovation of structures. The NH Historical Markers program enables recognition of locations important to the Town’s past while ensure private property remains in private hands, and the National Register of Historic Places is a national recognition requiring adherence to certain guidelines. Partnering with local the Boscawen Historical Society can offer additional opportunities for projects. The NH Division of Historical Resources contains program information that Boscawen may find useful for these and other preservation options.
Also consider cultural and historical resources that may be associated with potential new conservation properties. Leveraging the cultural and historic aspect of properties can broaden their appeal and support for conservation efforts.
9. Examine why there are declining recreational current use discount acres at the same time that current use acreage is greater than ever. The Conservation Commission may want to determine how to encourage this land to remain open for public recreational use. Declining recreational current use may in time limit or reduce outdoor enjoyment opportunities on private lands. With a fairly consistent 62% of Town land under current use, these lands may be more likely to remain undeveloped as compared to properties not under current use.
10. Research the status of areas under conservation (such as the Sanborn Agricultural Preservation Restriction and the Merrimack River State Forest, and several others), that may not carry permanent protection or specifically protect groundwater. The easiest land to permanently conserve may be those already under some type of conservation if the deeds permit changes and the landowners are open to perpetual protection, or a semi-permanent protection such as a 99-year protection clause.
Boscawen NH Natural Resources Inventory and Assessment 2020 36