Advocacy Alert!

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Below are important updates from our partners at NH LAKES about

two bills being heard next week, one of which LSPA is supporting

and one we are opposing.

The bill below will support shoreland protection:

HB 1540: Restoring municipal authority over accessory dwelling units in protected shoreland

What this bill does: HB 1540 updates New Hampshire’s accessory dwelling unit (ADU) law to help protect shorelines while still supporting housing options. An ADU is a small, separate living space on the same property as a single-family home—such as an in-law apartment, basement unit, or detached cottage.

The bill focuses on the protected shoreland (land within 250 feet of most lakes, ponds, rivers, and coastal waters), where new development is more likely to affect water quality. HB 1540 clarifies that towns may allow detached ADUs in protected shoreland areas, but they are not required to.

This bill responds to a change in state law that took effect July 1, 2025, which requires towns to allow detached ADUs by right (meaning automatically allowing them as long as basic standards are met) anywhere single-family homes are allowed—including within the protected shoreland. Before that change, towns could choose whether to allow detached ADUs.

Why it matters: The protected shoreland is one of the most critical areas for lake and river health. This natural buffer is the last line of defense, filtering pollution, stabilizing soils, and reducing runoff water before it reaches lakes and rivers.

Automatically allowing ADUs in the protected shoreland could lead to more impervious surfaces, soil compaction, land clearing, and polluted runoff, increasing the risk of water quality impacts.

HB 1540 is a targeted fix that applies only to the protected shoreland. It restores a municipality’s ability to decide whether detached ADUs are appropriate near the water, helping communities balance housing flexibility with the shoreline protections our lakes depend on.

Hearing Date/Time: Thurs. Jan. 22, 1:30 pm, 1 Granite Place, Room 231

Sign-In Online in Support: 

STEP 1: Go to the Online Testimony Submission Form. Fill in your personal information. 

STEP 2: Select the date of the hearing: Thurs. Jan. 22

STEP 3: Select Bill

Select the Committee: House Housing

Choose the Bill: 1:30 pm - HB 1540

I am: A member of the public

I’m Representing: Myself

Indicate your position on this Bill: I Support this Bill

STEP 4: Upload Remote Testimony

Tell the committee why you support the bill and why they should, too. Upload an attachment or type a few sentences into the space provided.

STEP 5: Submit

Oppose the Following Bill and Ask for a Change

HB 1649: Restricting municipal funding to nonprofit organizations 

What it Does: HB 1649 prohibits municipalities from appropriating or spending taxpayer funds through a municipal budget or warrant article to “donate” money to nonprofit organizations. The bill includes an exception for grants or financial assistance awarded through a competitive process and clarifies that nonprofits may still provide services through contracts when the work is quantifiable and verifiable.

Why it Matters: As written, HB 1649 could jeopardize critical funding that supports local lake management, restoration, and protection programs. Local lake associations are nonprofit organizations, and many rely on essential municipal appropriations approved through warrant articles or budget lines to carry out lake protection and management work that benefits the entire community.

That support helps fund on-the-ground efforts such as water quality monitoring, lake restoration projects, and aquatic invasive species prevention, monitoring, and management—services that most municipalities lack the staff capacity or technical expertise to provide. Because this work is often volunteer-driven and doesn’t always fit neatly into traditional procurement and bidding models, eliminating this funding pathway could force lake associations to scale back or even discontinue lake protection and management programs that communities depend on.

Why NH LAKES Oppose this Bill

NH LAKES supports transparency and accountability for taxpayer funds, but HB 1649 needs a workable path for mission-aligned nonprofit partnerships that provide a clear public benefit. We urge the committee to amend the bill to allow municipalities to appropriate funds to nonprofits through a warrant article or budget item when the public purpose is clearly stated, and basic accountability is required, including a written agreement, recordkeeping, and a public accounting of how funds were spent.

Hearing Date/Time: Fri. Jan. 23, 11:00 am, 1 Granite Place, Room 154 

Sign-In Online in Opposition and Request an Amendment:

STEP 1: Go to the Online Testimony Submission Form. Fill in your personal information.

STEP 2: Select the date of the hearing: Friday, January 23

STEP 3: Select Bill

Select the Committee: House Municipal and County Government

Choose the Bill: 11:00 am - HB 1649

I am: A member of the public

I’m Representing: Myself

Indicate your position on this Bill: I Oppose this Bill

STEP 4: Upload Remote Testimony

Tell the committee your personal story of why you oppose the bill. Then ask them to amend the bill so that it allows towns to continue working with trusted nonprofits while ensuring public dollars are used responsibly and accounted for clearly. Upload an attachment or type a few sentences into the space provided.

STEP 5: Submit

If you plan to testify at either of the above hearings next week, contact Andrea LaMoreaux, NH LAKES President and Policy Advocate, in advance to coordinate your talking points. Advocacy is most effective when legislators hear directly from those who care the most. 

Additional Resources from NH LAKES:

Who's My Legislator?

Find a Bill

Tips on How to Advocate

Thank you for your support!

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