[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6387784,"mediaKeyId","2115781-52078e6c8357533b1a238dfe09cef8b8","parentId",2115781,"title","Panel Hears HB 203 to Require Coast Guard‑Approved PFDs for Canoes, Kayaks and Rowing Craft in Cold‑Water Season","audioSeconds",3951,"startMs",10409000,"endMs",14360000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2115781-52078e6c8357533b1a238dfe09cef8b8&start=10409&end=14360","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2115781-52078e6c8357533b1a238dfe09cef8b8/thumbnail_10409000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6387784/New-Hampshire/Panel-Hears-HB-203-to-Require-Coast-GuardApproved-PFDs-for-Canoes-Kayaks-and-Rowing-Craft-in-ColdWater-Season","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6387784-e1f799cb1a00aaa83fa0d6db8dee948f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197418&Signature=XlW4bzf6to-Kpjc0zJhlhxkJjvLymocoLCiowdEis3gaistpRgeOKp8Y3S8xT5gZ3gy~8xWh1gt8kKT6e4Hwy3bA7LzH-SVtAX30vqY6LfnyxsttiQBgvEzZX5Zfts8qTM7A6wvW642-h4lqeznTPgpOzJ7rHaTV4bZ6cqNceetuq-5KGfgkUzyjYUWjZTua-YaqCBiCUsLGJ7oGuUQhbI895-Upk-3p37jYgsiQtjUwSOFhsQD-PgEr3BB2DXrK6BcOEhHzfMToVi6BYFs31N8WCfiqNOYVd~HvsWa~dL~-AMG1g0wfBXVjnN~g~PKHSDIQZ8IaBJx0Ze7ZEiUeng__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","NH House of Representatives Committee","date","2025-01-15T00:00:00Z","article","The committee considered HB 203, a bill that would require occupants of canoes, kayaks and rowing shells to wear U.S. Coast Guard‑approved personal flotation devices (PFDs) between Nov. 15 and May 15.

Representative John T. McDonald, the prime sponsor, told the committee the measure addresses the increased risk of cold‑water immersion and hypothermia in late fall and early spring. “Wearing a personal flotation device will not totally prevent hypothermia, but it will certainly prevent the quickest onset of it and save your life,” he said, adding that many paddlers do not appreciate how quickly water at low temperatures can incapacitate limbs needed for self‑rescue.

Captain Tim Dunleavy of the Marine Patrol testified in support. Dunleavy cited national and state data showing that a large majority of boating‑related drowning victims were not wearing life jackets; he emphasized the rapid loss of motor function in cold water and described modern inflatable PFD options designed to be comfortable and minimally intrusive for paddlers. “It is the rapid onset of cold‑water incapacitation that often prevents self‑rescue,” Dunleavy said, urging the committee to adopt the measure as a targeted seasonal safety step.

Opposition testimony included a witness who said the proposal ran counter to a “live‑free‑or‑die” tradition and would substitute government mandates for personal responsibility; that speaker urged education rather than a mandatory seasonal wear rule.

Current law and scope: Under existing state law, recreational boats must carry a Coast Guard‑approved PFD for each person on board and children 12 and under must wear life jackets; HB 203 would require active wear (not just carriage) for the small paddle and rowing craft listed during the defined cold‑water season. The sponsor cited similar rules in other states, including Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania.

Outcome at hearing: The committee recorded a blue‑sheet count of 1 in favor at the close of testimony. Marine Patrol offered to provide additional boating‑safety materials and statistics to the committee on drowning incidents, and requested the committee consider public‑education efforts to accompany any legal requirement.

What’s next: The Marine Patrol agreed to provide the committee with drowning statistics and additional details on modern inflatable PFDs; sponsors said they would coordinate on public outreach if the bill advances.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Resources, Recreation and Development (01/15/2025)","oneSentenceSummary","HB 203 would require people in canoes, kayaks and rowing shells to wear U.S. Coast Guard‑approved personal flotation devices between Nov. 15 and May 15 to reduce cold‑water immersion and hypothermia deaths.","taxTitle","Resources, Recreation and Development, House of Representatives, Committees\t, Legislative, New Hampshire","taxId",17760,"location","New Hampshire","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6387794,"Committee Hears HB 127, Proposal to Extend OHRV Season on Connecticut River Headwaters",1910,3443000,5353000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2115781-52078e6c8357533b1a238dfe09cef8b8&start=3443&end=5353","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2115781-52078e6c8357533b1a238dfe09cef8b8/thumbnail_3443000.jpg","/articles/6387794/New-Hampshire/Committee-Hears-HB-127-Proposal-to-Extend-OHRV-Season-on-Connecticut-River-Headwaters","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6387794-237105133ab6b49c0d2eb9a55581bba1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197418&Signature=ezXxuEFnMzTg6lQx~JIJfFOYUMPVBducTjl8e5m7PpV0q2rEvx4MebCYrCzdRzX91Gj-7V~3GOqPr0KQJEcc-t~By8GEYiPqj9Sii2YE3fNUAznj6oBU4CbSII54s6XnOIeKE1cUbVKMg5rmzTB2Z6n8u1wWar7kjxFgmf1QTN5XkFfl0HvvqtP3-ObIotBku7WWpTwMcWyl1akMu7flXniKp8j9yhaqo8~y9m4bsI2HZSFycmHXOTSHSue-WXyvIbwICEUs~RYCf8Bo6jnSHCujfp8ztZvOjgiMTPC5oerisNGIR1g806Cec8gsRG5rOF2Od4msarp~1yiYFaXS6g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Resources, Recreation and Development Committee heard testimony on HB 127, which would keep two sections (about 10.5 miles total) of OHRV trail on the Connecticut River Headwaters open through Columbus Day instead of closing them on Sept. 30.

Representative (prime sponsor) told the committee the request is intended to align a short headwaters segment with neighboring private trail systems and the broader regional convention that most North Country trails close on Columbus Day. “All we’re asking is just keep it open that next 8 to 13 days,” the sponsor told the committee, saying the change would allow riders to traverse from destination towns such as Pittsburg to Berlin and support linked businesses.

Why it matters: testimony centered on economics, landowner rights and the management obligations that accompany conserved public land. Supporters argued the extension provides measurable tourism revenues to rural businesses and lodging; DNCR and other custodial agencies urged any seasonal change follow the conservation‑easement and citizen‑advisory review set out for the headwaters property.

Economic claims and local support: Sponsors and county officials cited an economic impact study earlier presented for the region that the witness summarized as an ATV sector worth about $460 million annually in New Hampshire and said an extra weekend in the fall produces “about $9,000,000 a weekend” to the North Country economy. County and town officials — including Coös County administrator Mark Bridal and Coös County Commissioner Ray Gorman — told the committee local leaders, police chiefs and businesses support the extension and that county sheriff’s deputies could help provide additional patrols for the extra days.

Landowner and management concerns: Craig Rennie, chief of the Bureau of Trails at the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR), said DNCR is not taking an agency position in committee but described the management framework established when the Connecticut Lakes Headwaters property was closed and conserved. Rennie said DNCR had held a multi‑stakeholder advisory process in 2022–23 and that the approved 5‑year management plan (2024–28) did not include an extension; he also said the Connecticut Lakes Headwaters Citizens Committee met in a special session on the request and voted 6–3 in opposition to extending the season.

DNCR Commissioner Sarah Stewart subsequently issued a decision keeping the headwaters trails closed on Sept. 30 for the last season and asked that any future written extension requests be submitted by April 1 so the agency, the citizens committee and the private landowner (Aurora Sustainable Lands) could consider them in the management process.

Fish and Game and safety: Captain Michael Eastman of Fish and Game said the commission opposed extending the headwaters season at that time because small‑game hunting season opens Oct. 1 and Fish and Game officers have law‑enforcement responsibilities for both hunters and OHRV users; he said enforcement staffing and safety for hunters were part of the department’s concern.

Business testimony and county response: Small businesses and tourism operators from Pittsburg and the North Country gave detailed economic testimony in favor of HB 127. Corinne Robert, owner of Bayrock Adventures in Pittsburg, said her rental and lodging business employs 15 people in a town of about 800 residents and that the seasonal window matters to payroll and retail receipts. Coös County officials said they had budgeted or would support law enforcement coverage for the extension if the season were changed.

Positions of owner and trustee: Aurora Sustainable Lands, the private owner of the working forest on the headwaters tract, told the committee it had no position on extending the season; DNCR said Aurora had been involved in advisory review and that the conservation easement and the Connecticut Lakes Headwaters Citizens Committee are central to decisions about recreational access on the parcel.

Outcome at hearing: The committee recorded a blue‑sheet count of 7 in favor, 5 opposed and 1 neutral. DNCR and Fish and Game urged that any future change be processed through the management plan and citizens committee; supporters urged the committee to approve a minor seasonal alignment for businesses and trail users.

What’s next: DNCR asked that written requests for any future seasonal change be transmitted in the spring to allow a full advisory review; supporters said they would pursue county and town coordination and the legislative route if necessary.

","The committee considered HB 127, which would extend through Columbus Day two short trail segments — about 10.5 miles in total — on the Connecticut River Headwaters so OHRVs can link Pittsburg and neighboring towns to the broader regional trail network.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6387799,"Committee Hears HB 113 to Allow OHRVs on Short State Road in Windsor",2312,1821000,4133000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2115781-52078e6c8357533b1a238dfe09cef8b8&start=1821&end=4133","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2115781-52078e6c8357533b1a238dfe09cef8b8/thumbnail_1821000.jpg","/articles/6387799/New-Hampshire/Committee-Hears-HB-113-to-Allow-OHRVs-on-Short-State-Road-in-Windsor","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6387799-c018b76957be6615a28f584642cab2df/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197418&Signature=b0xGS2qJQkHovJhnEZiLCnlZhC0294E-iFG1TxEy84Bny6bmkbLL8Q1OgxJph1xrx9CHHRuRgcrrlkF-sCRKA2jZSpXbaPoXJ-RqofL7xyUnL9vjgbqcITLXHubFbxXkvQHmDy0bD7sfvLE8bCXkAoBF0E6WGTQmKJcGc4RUVZMlLjGNrRNZiFu3QM1bGRTWXCqN-H5t4SQUZQ6mMgZ1M3FySy9VsQyqzowWVaVHem3oy9ftYDBj~Q6vL8SKAlNSsdnKwh8J3snVpJ~IXmYejp-buFzKwF2CU~UwOj9~whMnz5k-zI9~Hhv9Xk4VLboRmj-lM4Q4meJf~45YrBlk0w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Resources, Recreation and Development Committee opened a hearing on HB 113, a bill that would add a short stretch of state road in the town of Windsor to the list of highways on which off‑highway recreational vehicles (OHRVs) may travel.

Representative Rachea Colcomb, prime sponsor and the legislator for Hillsborough, Windsor, Antrim and Bennington, told the committee the measure is narrowly focused: it would allow local residents who routinely use ATVs and UTVs as primary vehicles to legally cross an 1.8‑mile summer‑maintained segment of state road so they can move between parts of the town without a lengthy detour. “There’s roughly 12 houses… this is for the local use to be able to continue to use their road system,” Colcomb said.

The bill matters because it raises the question of when travel on state‑maintained roads should be opened to OHRVs and, if so, how that change is implemented. Supporters and Windsor officials say the move would recognize long‑standing local practice and reduce travel burdens for residents who lack alternate routes. Opponents warned that changing access on a state road can set a precedent and that existing statutes require public notification and a selectboard request.

From the state’s perspective: David Rodrigue, assistant commissioner for the Department of Transportation, said the department does not take a position for or against the policy but raised process and safety concerns. Rodrigue told the committee the bill as written would “simply make these roads open for OHRV use without the public process that is required by communities when they open class 4, 5 or 6 roads for OHRV use.” He pointed the panel to RSA 215‑A:69, which requires abutter notification, a selectboard request and signage marking where on‑road OHRV use begins and ends. Rodrigue offered two alternatives: require the bill to reference RSA 215‑A:69 procedures or ask the town to request reclassification of the segment from a state‑maintained class 2 road to a class 5 town road.

Local testimony split. Colcomb said Windsor selectmen have permitted OHRV use on town roads and have begun the public‑notice process required under state law; she described Hillsborough police as willing to respond to incidents in Windsor in practice and said she had heard no local complaints. “They’re already traveling on their town roads without complaints or issues,” she said.

Opponents said the statutory process and law‑enforcement capacity matter. Anne Davis, a Wilmette resident who testified representing timberland owners and the New Hampshire Farm Bureau on the state OHRV study commission, asked the committee to defer: she said local notification and law‑enforcement contingencies had not been clearly recorded with the study commission and recommended more vetting before the committee acted. Abby Evanko, clerk of the HB 1188 OHRV Study Commission and a member of the New Hampshire Rail Trails Coalition, urged the committee to send the bill to the study commission for evaluation, citing the trail‑siting standards in RSA 215A:41–43 and telling members she had heard homeowners and summer camps were unaware of proposed changes. “Please ITL HB 113,” Evanko said, arguing the request would be better considered within the commission process.

Other witnesses cautioned about unintended consequences of opening a connector. Claude Pigeon, a study‑commission member and long‑time motorized‑recreation user, warned that connector openings often invite further expansion and can change a “dead‑end” node into a circuit that attracts more traffic.

The committee recorded a blue‑sheet count at the end of the hearing: 3 in favor and 4 opposed. No final committee recommendation or statutory change was reported at the hearing; DOT recommended that any authorization reference RSA 215‑A:69 or that Windsor pursue reclassification so the town process, signing and an ability to close the route later would be available.

What’s next: the sponsor said she would continue to work with Windsor selectmen and the committee on required public‑notice steps; DOT and the study commission recommended following established RSA procedures before authorizing OHRV travel on state roads.

","The House Resources, Recreation and Development Committee opened a hearing on HB 113, a bill that would add a short stretch of state road in the town of Windsor to the list of highways on which off‑highway recreational vehicles may travel.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6387788,"Panel Weighs HB 174 to Raise OHRV Weight Limit; Enforcement, landowner and bridge concerns raised",3971,9711000,13682000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2115781-52078e6c8357533b1a238dfe09cef8b8&start=9711&end=13682","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2115781-52078e6c8357533b1a238dfe09cef8b8/thumbnail_9711000.jpg","/articles/6387788/New-Hampshire/Panel-Weighs-HB-174-to-Raise-OHRV-Weight-Limit-Enforcement-landowner-and-bridge-concerns-raised","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6387788-ab4f5c2153ea8f5b9b3400ff401881d4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197418&Signature=fbERWq-nAF-tn4mUo9a5kShBX~fU9DIk06JUiwrT2fTKkeeumNTKbfS7sXMjlQlBfq7lCo2-LTMsF3kY0x7RurqAR9gzAuumNaEh~-IsBi62wsy0TelI2zks1EbW2pThfYoas8v6APPrpkqLDPgpoXt9xnw7VtvqSXQStC61DFR5~eNV00J7u~U2rBXbdD9OzxX~5OnXdQnCOmhtOOPmgJf22LgZybilXugAU-k2mhRncQxJOy5-XY1Oa9wEs4U0Xwk68PnvCqMQG~8QdoBnhWHhm7pbz~dUAhm7-nItMNUaJ733~I0CGYN05U-a2gOnnDvj~zwFXYq-0ak27LbpCw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The committee heard testimony on HB 174, which would raise the statutory dry weight limit used to define certain off‑highway recreational vehicles (OHRVs). The bill’s sponsor said the change would accommodate heavier modern side‑by‑sides, permit battery‑powered electric models and reduce technical noncompliance for machines that now include comforts such as heaters, windshields and spare tires.

Representative John Ouellette (prime sponsor) said the OHRV fleet has evolved from utilitarian 4x4 work units to larger recreational models and that manufacturers increasingly build heavier vehicles or electric platforms. “These vehicles are getting a little more fancy, a little more sophisticated,” he told the committee, adding the change is meant to keep those machines legal for trail systems that limit width but not the proposed adjusted weight.

Supporters’ view: Steven Wilke, representing the New Hampshire Off‑Highway Vehicle Association (NOVA), said clubs and the national Recreational Off‑Highway Vehicle Association have studied the issue and recommended the increase to allow electric and factory‑equipped machines to operate legally. Wilke said vehicle width limits (65 inches on many state trails) would remain unchanged and that tire technology and low‑pressure, wider tires reduce ground pressure compared with high‑pressure automobile tires.

Opponents’ view: Landowner and forestry groups, and several local residents, opposed the proposal. Jason Stock, executive director of the New Hampshire Timberland Owners Association, said most trail mileage is on private land and that heavier vehicles would increase maintenance costs for private landowners who permit access. He told the committee private haul roads and skid trails were not engineered for larger rolling loads and that increased fines and loss of surface material can accelerate erosion.

Public safety and infrastructure concerns were raised. Claude Pigeon, a long‑time motorized user and trail manager, described how heavier, shorter‑wheelbase recreational vehicles change dynamic loads on small bridges and trail crossings that were built for lighter machines or occasional logging traffic. Pigeon argued that the change in rolling inertia and center‑of‑gravity dynamics could increase tip‑over risk and cause greater bridge loading in designs that were never engineered for those weights.

Enforcement and statutory clarity: Several witnesses noted the practical limits of enforcing an unladen‑dry weight limit in the woods: Fish and Game and municipal officers do not routinely carry scales and manufacturers’ “dry weight” figures vary by convention. Representative questions on enforcement produced candid answers: enforcement personnel said there is no practical field weighing protocol for OHRVs and that many current machines already exceed the older weight threshold once common aftermarket equipment and spare supplies are included.

Agency position: Captain Michael Eastman of Fish and Game stated the commission ultimately supported the bill in committee, noting the width cap and other existing trail‑management rules provide some protections against indiscriminate use of heavier vehicles.

Outcome at hearing: The committee recorded a blue‑sheet count of 5 in favor, 4 opposed and 1 neutral. Opponents urged the panel to let the OHRV study commission continue vetting equipment changes and to consider landowner protections, bridge assessments and enforcement mechanisms before a statutory change.

What’s next: Committee members asked for additional technical material from manufacturers and trail engineers, and witnesses said they will provide comparative tire and vehicle‑load data for further review.

","HB 174 would change the statutory dry weight definition for off‑highway vehicles to accommodate heavier modern UTVs and electric models. Supporters, including NOVA and manufacturers, said the change reflects vehicle evolution; opponents — timberland owners, Fish and Game and local landowners — raised enforcement, trail damage and bridge‑safety","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Panel Hears HB 203 to Require Coast Guard‑Approved PFDs for Canoes, Kayaks and Rowing Craft in Cold‑Water Season

Committee Hears HB 127, Proposal to Extend OHRV Season on Connecticut River Headwaters

Committee Hears HB 113 to Allow OHRVs on Short State Road in Windsor

Panel Weighs HB 174 to Raise OHRV Weight Limit; Enforcement, landowner and bridge concerns raised