UVLSRPCorner

Join us every month in the UVLSRPCorner to learn more about our projects and the staff behind them!



This month: USDA

We completed our latest series of School Chemical Safety webinars on September 29, 2026 with our amazing consultant Becky Andersen of Hazardous Materials Consulting in Iowa. The Commission started providing school chemical safety training in 2012 with King County, Washington’s Rehab the Lab pioneer, Dave Waddell. When Dave retired, we found Becky Andersen to continue the excellent training services to our schools. Thanks to COVID, we adjusted to virtual training, and our reach stretched across the country. In the latest series, there were 105 registrants from 13 states. Our training has been provided through our grants from USDA and EPA.

NH State and Federal regulations require schools to train their staff in school chemical safety and develop plans for their schools, yet there is very little training available. The RPC filled that gap in the last several years. And even better, the last two years of virtual webinars were recorded for greater access by our teachers and other school staff.

You can watch the webinars on our YouTube Channel and share the link with your school: https://www.youtube.com/@UVLSRPC-NH/playlists. 

And you can read more about our school chemical safety training on our website: https://uvlsrpc.org/environment/school-chemical-safety/. While you’re there, have a look at our School Chemical Safety comic books created by NH cartoonist, Marek Bennett during an earlier project.

Victoria Davis, Senior Planner created the School Chemical Safety project at the Commission and provided training at various times over 12 years. She is leaving the Commission at the end of the month, but Tim Josephson, Planner, will pick up the mantle to continue providing this needed training and outreach to our schools. You can reach Tim at tjosephson@uvlsrpc.org 

More UVLSRP News

Staff Update

UVLSRPC would like to announce that Victoria Davis, Senior Planner, is retiring at the end of October.

Vickie Davis joined the planning staff in November 2007. Over the last 19 years, she has developed several transfer station operations plans for New Hampshire municipalities; provided trainings for transfer station attendants to meet their NH recertification requirements and implemented several solid waste technical assistance and education programs throughout the region and the State. Vickie has played a pivotal role in providing direct municipal land use assistance, securing federal grant funding for the region, and leading efforts in solid waste management, hazard mitigation, brownfields, and stormwater planning. 

Vickie has worked in the planning field since she graduated from Antioch University New England with an M.S in Resource Management and Administration, and a B.S. from Plymouth State University in Local & Regional Planning. She has worked all over the country helping communities with planning efforts in Mississippi, Tennessee, Massachusetts, and Vermont. 

We would like to thank Vickie for everything she has done for UVLSRPC. She has been a crucial member of the team, and her commitment has been invaluable. We are sad to see Vickie go, but wish her all the best in her retirement!

UVLSRPC Staff Attend NERC Conference

Earlier this month, members of UVLSRPC staff attended the Northeast Recycling Council's (NERC) Rethink Resource Use Conference in Princeton, New Jersey!

NERC’s Annual Rethink Resource Use Conference convenes leaders, innovators, and practitioners from across the sustainable materials management industry to explore solutions shaping the future of resource use in the Northeast U.S. UVLSRPC Planner Tim Josephson, and Associate Planners Grace Jackson and Will Cleaveland, sat in on exciting sessions about recycling and food waste diversion, and are excited to bring what they learned to the Upper Valley!

UVLSRPC Data Collection

UVLSRPC offers data collection and assessments of various roadway infrastructure for towns. Assessment criteria was created in collaboration with NH Department of Transportation (NHDOT), UNH T2, the Regional Planning Commissions, and other State agencies. Data collected can be utilized to create long-term maintenance plans, understand forecasted improvement costs, identify priority vulnerable infrastructure, as well as be used to support grant applications. 

UVLSRPC currently offers data collection and assessment for: 

• Stream Crossings/Culverts 
• Drainage Culverts 
• Pedestrian Facilities (e.g. crosswalks, sidewalks, bike lanes) 
• Pavement Road Surface Management and Maintenance Forecasting 



UVLSRPC has some funding to provide cost share opportunities for member communities on a first come first served basis. Please reach out to Ian Garland at igarland@uvlsrpc.org for more information! 

Check Out the UVLSRPC YouTube Page

Have you seen our YouTube channel? Just click here Upper Valley Lake Sunapee RPC - NH - YouTube and see our playlists of webinars and videos as shown below:

• 2026 HHW Webinars: Everyday Toxic Products, High Hazards at HHW Collections
• 2026 School Chemical Safety Webinars: Four webinars are uploaded and more will be added as they are presented later this year. You can find additional information below!
• 2025 School Chemical Safety Webinars: 12 webinars with chemist Becky Andersen of Hazardous Materials Consulting
• 2025 HHW Webinars: HHW Coordinator Trainings
• 2023 Residential Stormwater Education in Claremont
• 2020 Food Scrap Diversion and Composting Webinars

Emergency Preparedness

If you'd like to sign up to receive alerts about hazardous weather in your area, visit NH Alerts and enter your email and/or phone number.

Composting Corner

Have you been thinking about composting at home? Are you unsure of where to start? Look no further! UVLSRPC has developed tip sheets and other resources for those interested in learning about compost and who may want to start a compost bin or pile at home!

What is Composting?

Composting is the controlled aerobic decomposition of raw organic materials (like food scraps and dry leaves/twigs) via fungi and bacteria to create compost, which is a dark, crumbly soil amendment.

Composting helps to:

• reduce waste at home and in landfills
• enhance soil
• protect the climate

All you need to compost are these things:

1. Water
2. Air
3. Carbon/"Browns" - dead leaves, straw, wood chips
4. Nitrogen/"Green" - food scraps, grass clippings, coffee grounds

Visit our Solid Waste Management page here to learn even more about what compost is and how you can incorporate it into your lifestyle!

Contact Grace Jackson at gjackson@uvlsrpc.org for more information.

New! EV Charging Infrastructure Grant Program Now Open

NHDES is proud to announce the Recharge the Adventure New Hampshire (RANH) Grant Program. NHDES has released a new $1 million grant program for the installation of Level 2 EV charging stations at travel- and tourism-oriented locations in New Hampshire, such as parks, ski areas, downtown districts, beaches, and other attractions. 

RANH is a competitive grant program offering partial reimbursement of 80% of eligible costs, up to a maximum of $10,000 per charging port. 

Eligible applicants include public, private and nonprofit entities. Applications will be accepted on a rolling monthly basis until all funding has been obligated, with the first application window closing on November 15. 

Visit their RANH program webpage to learn more. Please direct any questions to our Mobile Sources team at ms-grants@des.nh.gov.

Two new Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs)

1. Fiscal year (FY) 2026 Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program (WCPP):

 The WCPP NOFO releases $80 million in funding for projects seeking to improve the safety of the traveling public by reducing the number of wildlife-vehicle collisions and, in doing so, improve habitat connectivity for terrestrial and aquatic species.

 Eligible applicants: State Departments of Transportation; metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs); units of local government; regional transportation authorities; special purpose districts or public authorities with a transportation function; Indian Tribes; Federal Land Management Agencies (FLMA); or a group of any of the above entities.

 Applications are due November 16, 2026. The NOFO can be found here: https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/364009.

2. FY 2025 and 2026 Prioritization Process Pilot Program (PPPP): 

 The PPPP NOFO releases $26 million in funding to support data-driven approaches to project selection in planning that can be evaluated for the public benefit. The PPPP Competitive Grant Program provides 100% federal funding.

Eligible Applicants: State governments and Metropolitan planning organizations (MPO) that serve a census delineated urban area with a population of over 200,000.

Applications are due October 30, 2026. The NOFO can be found here: https://grants.gov/search-results-detail/364011.

Volunteer Drivers Needed!

Volunteer Drivers needed in Sullivan County! If you would like to help your fellow community members with appointment needs outside of the regular bus routes, please consider becoming a Volunteer Driver with Sullivan County Transportation. In 2025, the Volunteer Driver program had a total of 2,354 one-way trips that were requested, and 1,859 of those one-way trips were fulfilled. On average, 80% of the one-way rides requested last year were fulfilled.

Volunteer Drivers receive training and professional development as well as mileage reimbursement at 67 cents per mile. Volunteers decide what rides to accept and make their own schedule.

Please contact Terri Curtis, Volunteer Driver Program Coordinator, for more information: 603-542-9609 or tcurtis@scshelps.org

Community Transportation Needs Assessment Report is Now Available

As New Hampshire is one of the oldest states in the nation, we must square this with the fact that New Hampshire is also one of the most car-dependent states in the nation. What happens when we are too old to drive safely? What infrastructure exists to help us age in place and continue to live our daily lives? Are there systems in place for people to get around their town and region — to medical appointments, to work, to visit friends, to grocery stores? These basic questions of independence take a greater weight when access to transportation is limited.

The New Hampshire Community Transportation Needs Assessment (CTNA) is now complete and seeks to provide answers to these and other questions by being honest about the state of transportation for Granite Staters. The CTNA was built by the New Hampshire Commission on Aging and serves as an honest snapshot of where we are today and provides a thorough analysis of our current situation. In addition, it also provides a road map and direction for how to solve the problems of today and projected issues of tomorrow, along with funding ideas and directives that make sense for local communities. 

Find the link to the report here: https://www.nhcoa.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt946/files/media/media_document/getting-there-together-nh-community-transportation-action-plan.pdf

Sullivan County Releases Safety Action Plan to Help Municipalities Pursue Roadway Safety Funding

Sullivan County has completed its Safe Streets and Roads for All Safety Action Plan, a countywide roadmap designed to help local communities reduce and eventually eliminate fatalities and serious injuries on roads throughout the region.

The plan was developed after Sullivan County received a Safe Streets and Roads for All grant. The County hired AECOM to develop the plan with support from the Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission, municipal partners from the County, and the New Hampshire Department of Transportation. The AECOM contract was just under $320,000, and $272,000 of that amount was covered by the grant. The Safety Action Plan identifies recommended safety improvements across Sullivan County using historical crash data, and it also integrated significant public input.

Municipalities Encouraged to Prepare for Implementation Grants:

Municipalities may use the County’s Safety Action Plan to apply for infrastructure implementation projects through the Federal Highway Administration. Eligible grants may cover up to 80% of total project costs, helping communities advance roadway safety projects that may otherwise be difficult to fund locally. 

It all starts with a few simple steps:

• Review the Sullivan County Safety Action Plan (on the County’s website);
• Identify local roadway safety needs and priority locations;
• Use the municipal application guides and FAQ materials to prepare for funding opportunities;
• Coordinate with UVLSRPC on questions related to next steps.

The outreach is intended for municipal officials, staff, boards, committees, and community members in Sullivan County’s municipalities, including Acworth, Charlestown, Claremont, Cornish, Croydon, Goshen, Grantham, Langdon, Lempster, Newport, Plainfield, Springfield, Sunapee, Unity, and Washington.

How to Learn More:

Municipalities and residents can learn more by reviewing the Safety Action Plan, municipal applicant FAQ guide, and municipal grant applicant guide available through Sullivan County’s SS4A program information page.

NHDES Invites Public Comments on Draft Climate Planning Resource Guide

The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) has posted on its website a notice of request for public comment for a draft Climate Planning Resource Guide. This is an important step towards the next EPA grant deliverable to be submitted by the end of the year.

NDHES featured numerous success stories, pilot projects and case studies in this draft resource guide. Understanding the full scope of similar projects statewide would greatly help the NHDES CPRG team.

You can access the public notice at the following NHDES website: 

• Public Comment Notice: Working draft of New Hampshire’s Climate Planning Resource Guide.

For more information on NHDES’ work under EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program, see the NHDES resources below:

• Climate Pollution Reduction Grants | NH Department of Environmental Services.
• Comprehensive Climate Action Plan | NH Department of Environmental Services.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING COMMENTS:

NHDES will accept comments on this draft until 4 pm, October 30, 2026. Only written comments will be accepted. Comments may be sent by email (preferred) or postal mail.

Please include your name, organization, mailing address, email address, and telephone number with your submittal.

By email: cprg@des.nh.gov - Please include the following text in the subject line: “Draft Climate Planning Resource Guide.”



By Mail: NHDES Climate Pollution Reduction Grants

Attention: Jennifer Galbraith, Air Resources Division

NHDES Technical Services Bureau

P.O. Box 95

Concord, NH 03302-0095

2027 Local Source Water Protection Grant Applications Now Open

Grants are available from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services to develop and implement programs to protect local sources of drinking water. Public water suppliers, municipalities, regional planning agencies, non-profit organizations, educational institutions, conservation districts, and watershed associations are eligible to receive funding. Grant projects must protect surface or groundwater actively used or that will be used in the future by public water systems as sources of drinking water.

Applicants can receive up to $25,000 for non-climate related source protection projects (see list below) including certain activities required under US EPA’s Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit that work to limit stormwater impacts and protect source water. Routine operations/maintenance activities required under MS4 permits are not eligible.

Applicants can receive up to $30,000 for a source protection project that addresses climate/weather-related challenges – flooding, drought, cyanobacteria blooms, stormwater pollution, erosion, and sedimentation. This funding is offered to help public water systems and communities become more resilient, sustainable and save money in the long-term. Further guidance can be found at the end of the information packet.

The application is now available online to allow time for applicants to identify key partners/stakeholders and craft a high-quality grant proposal. NHDES is happy to confer and exchange ideas with potential applicants in advance of the development of an application. Applications are due November 1, 2026.  

Examples of source water protection projects:

• Development and adoption of municipal groundwater and surface water protection regulations similar to NHDES’ or other state models
• Source security enhancements such as fencing, gates, or cameras
• Developing, updating and implementation of local source water protection plans and ordinances with the integration of climate-related goals
• Certain transactional costs associated with land conservation to protect drinking water sources
• Implementation of stormwater best management practices
• Completing state Groundwater Reclassification for community well(s)
• High-risk residential heating oil tank replacement
• Education and outreach campaigns
• Projects which prepare first responders to protect public water supplies

For more information, visit Local Source Water Protection Grant | NH Department of Environmental Services or contact Candace Comer at Candace.a.comer1@des.nh.gov if you have questions or wish to discuss your project. 

Brownfields Grant Award

UVLSRPC was one of 193 grants awarded across the country as part of this year's round of brownfields multipurpose, assessment, and cleanup grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This $500,000 grant will allow the RPC to conduct important environmental assessment work of sites with known contamination. The assessment process is an important step in remediating brownfields and promoting adaptive reuse and economic revitalization in our region.

This is the fourth brownfields award that the RPC has received from EPA. Previous rounds of funding have supported assessment and cleanup planning on over a dozen sites across the region — leveraging $67 million in public and private funds in the effort to remediate and/or reuse environmentally contaminated sites. This latest grant is a great opportunity to extend this important work in our communities.

Work on this grant will begin on October 1st. If you are interested in UVLSRPC's brownfields program, own property that may be eligible for assessment funding, or wish to serve on our region's Brownfields Advisory Committee, please contact John Haffner at jhaffner@uvlsrpc.org.

Call to Artists!

The Connecticut River Museum is excited to collaborate with the Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC) and the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center for this wonderful exhibit in celebration of the CRC’s 75th anniversary. This exhibition seeks to reflect a legacy of love and stewardship through artistic interpretations of the river as a home. By highlighting the watershed’s dimensionality as only art can do, the exhibit will stir a renewed sense of passion and engagement for environmental conservation amount museum visitors.

Two unified yet distinct contemporary art exhibits will be held at beautifully situated river-side locations in 2027: one here, at the Connecticut River Museum from February to May, and one at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center in Brattleboro, Vermont from July to October.

Call for artists! If you would like to submit your Connecticut River Watershed themed art in any material, applications will be accepted through November 1, 2026. Artists are invited to submit work for a curated group exhibition, The River We Call Home. This exhibit honors the Connecticut River watershed as a place of wonder, belonging, and relationship—one that sustains both human and natural communities. Artists may indicate a preference for which museum they would like to display their work, and curators will take this into consideration when possible. The art will be complemented by informational displays, a kid-friendly interactive art corner, and supportive historic materials such as a scrapbook and digital media. You may submit your work here.

Borrow an E-Bike!

The Upper Valley E-Bike Lending Library is a free selection of four e-bikes of assorted styles and retail costs that has one- and two-week residencies in towns and workplaces throughout the Upper Valley. While the e-bike library is stationed at a particular lending location, people can try multiple bikes at “Demo Days” or sign up to borrow a single bike overnight to see how an e-bike might fit into your lifestyle. Book a bike here!

Full Commission Meeting Dates FY 2027

• December 9, 2026 – Location TBD
• February 10, 2027
• April 14, 2027
• June 9, 2027 – Location TBD

Time: 5:00 PM

Location: UVLSRPC Office ~10 Water Street, Suite 265~ Lebanon, NH

Meeting dates may change due to unforeseen circumstances.

If you have any questions or concerns, please call Chris at 603-448-1680.

Upper Valley Lake Sunapee

Regional Planning Commission

Suite 225

10 Water Street

Lebanon, NH 03766

https://www.uvlsrpc.org

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