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BITS AND PIECES
A Weekly Update from the Strafford Region
| | SRPC Sets Sail on the Gundalow | | |
On Thursday, September 24, SRPC, in partnership with the Gundalow Company, co-hosted a sail on Little Bay aboard the gundalow Piscataqua with SRPC Commissioners and regional partners to learn about several projects around the bay. SRPC was joined by Greg Bush, project engineer for the Town of Durham; Laura Brown, owner and operator of Fox Point Oysters; and Kelsey Meyer-Rust, conservation specialist at The Nature Conservancy.
Leaving Great Bay Marine in Newington, the captain, crew, and handful of eager volunteers quickly raised the sail and headed south towards Little Bay. As an icebreaker, passengers were asked to share their thoughts on why Great Bay was important to them. The local stories, anecdotes, and memories that followed provided a perfect setup for the evening’s discussion.
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Upon entering Little Bay, Laura and Kelsey addressed local oyster farming activities, native reef restoration projects, and the creation of the NH Shellfish Farmers Association. After passing through the Furber Strait and entering Great Bay, the crew pointed out several river systems entering the bay and provided a brief background on the history and cultural significance of gundalows in the region.
On the return voyage, attendees were taken up the mouth of the Oyster River, where Greg provided a summary of Durham’s ongoing living shoreline project at Wagon Hill Farm, the recent groundwater rise study, and water quality concerns in the Cedar Point neighborhood.
A special thanks to Rich Clyborne, executive director of Gundalow Company, the captain and crew, and all those who helped plan this special event.
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Above: Presenters, Gundalow crew, SRPC staff, and SRPC commissioners aboard the Gundalow.
Middle: Gundalow staff member presents the history of gundalows in the greater Piscataqua Region.
Below: Kelsey Meyer-Rust describes the presence of green crabs in the Great Bay ecosystem.
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SRPC is looking for two interns to assist our planning team over the course of the fall and spring semesters. Ideally, candidates will be available for 10 to 12 hours per week. Must be available to work in person.
The intern will:
- Assist with collection of bicycle and pedestrian counts.
- Collect culvert and stormwater infrastructure data.
- Analyze the collected data.
- Assist with other planning projects in the environmental, land use, transportation, and/or economic development fields.
Projects to align with the candidate’s interests.
More details on our website.
| | 2026 Legislative Toolkit Released | | |
Did you know several New Hampshire bills with important land use and zoning implications took effect on July 1, 2026, and may require updates to local zoning ordinances, subdivision and site plan regulations, and development review procedures? These laws address topics including multi-family housing, child care, parking requirements, development in commercial districts, and other municipal planning topics.
The 2026 Legislative Toolkit provides high-level summaries of the new laws and identifies implications for municipalities, as well as potential local actions to consider. Visit this page for the most up-to-date version of the toolkit available.
For questions, reach out to Senior Planner Natalie Gemma at ngemma@straffordRPCnh.gov
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Public Input Opportunity
Share feedback on the draft New Hampshire Coastal Flood Risk Summary, Part II: Guidance for Using Best Available Science.
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First published in 2020, the Guidance is currently being updated as part of the 5-year update required by the State legislature and guided by a Steering Committee of state agency representatives, regional planning commission staff, and other partners. The Guidance is intended to support users to access the latest information about sea level rise, groundwater rise, coastal storms, and extreme precipitation in different types of projects, including planning, regulatory, or site-specific efforts.
The public comment period runs throughout October 2026 and includes the following opportunities:
October 1, 12:00-1:00pm - Kickoff Webinar: Join this webinar for an orientation to the draft Guidance and Q&A
Two In-Person Workshops: At these workshops, participants will have an opportunity to apply the draft Guidance to different scenarios and share feedback with the Project Team.
- October 8, 1:00-3:00pm, Dover Library, Dover
- October 13, 10:00-12:00pm, Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Stratham
For more information, visit the public comment landing page: https://arcg.is/1KmXDD4. Questions? Contact Lwise@straffordrpcnh.gov.
This project is funded in part, by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office for Coastal Management under the Coastal Zone Management Act in conjunction with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) Coastal Program; the NHDES Drinking Water and Groundwater Bureau; and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Coastal Resilience Fund.
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