Section 483:12-a State Action; Notification of Rivers Coordinator; Petition for Review.
I. Any state agency considering any action affecting any river or segment designated under this chapter shall notify the rivers coordinator prior to taking any such action. Such agency shall forward to the rivers coordinator for review and comment copies of all notices of public hearings, or, where a public hearing is not required, a copy of the application for issuance of a permit, certificate, or license within the designated river or corridor under RSA 485-C, RSA 485-A, RSA 483-B, RSA 12-E, RSA 270:12, RSA 482, RSA 482-A, RSA 149-M, RSA 430, or RSA 147-A. If an agency is notified by the rivers coordinator that a proposed activity would violate a protection measure under RSA 483:9, 483:9-a, 483:9-aa, or 483:9-b, such agency shall deny the application.
I-a. The rivers coordinator shall develop, in conjunction with affected state agencies and local river management advisory committees, the procedure by which the state shall notify the appropriate local river management advisory committee when state action is being considered which affects a designated river.
II. If an application is denied solely because the proposed activity would violate a protection measure under RSA 483:9, 483:9-a, 483:9-aa, or 483:9-b, the applicant may petition the commissioner for a review. Within 30 days of receiving such a petition, the commissioner, in consultation with the advisory committee and the appropriate local rivers management advisory committee, shall review the application. If the commissioner determines that the proposed activity is consistent with the character of the designated river or segment or that the proposed activity would provide a public benefit sufficient to outweigh the public benefit of a protection measure under this chapter, the commissioner shall submit to the speaker of the house and the president of the senate a recommendation that the proposed activity be allowed to proceed. Such recommendation shall require review and approval by the general court and shall be filed as a bill in the next legislative session following the petition.
Source. 1990, 233:14. 1995, 219:3, eff. Aug. 11, 1995. 2007, 285:8, eff. Sept. 1, 2007. 2009, 201:13, eff. July 15, 2009.