With Memorial Day in the rearview mirror, summer is officially here in New Hampshire! Summer is a big deal for our state and, consequently, the legislature spends quite a bit of time each session thinking about and planning for all that it brings–the many forms of outdoor recreation, the influx of tourists, the agricultural and environmental issues–just to name a few.
This session, we explored many of the summer challenges facing our state. For example, I sponsored a bill aimed at helping summer camps resolve their nursing shortage. Summer camps are required by the state to have a nurse on staff but often have great difficulty filling the positions. Working with the various stakeholders, we crafted a bill to cut through some of the red tape that prevents qualified nurses from being able to take the jobs. There is great hope that this will help alleviate some of the great stress on these important organizations.
Another one of my bills establishes a safety program for off-highway recreational vehicles (OHRVs). If you’ve spent any time hiking or walking in the outdoors, you’ve probably seen one of the vehicles out on the trail. OHRVs have grown in popularity over the years and for good reason. Many state trails, such as the Sugar River Recreational Trail from Claremont to Newport, see a lot of OHRV traffic during the summer. Of course, with increased use comes increased safety concerns. This program will encourage responsible use to keep all involved safe.
In the Lakes Region, one big piece of contentious legislation was a speed limit increase in certain areas on Lake Winnipesaukee. This proposal drew both strong support and fervent opposition. The debate centered mainly around whether or not an increase in the speed would become a safety issue in heavily trafficked areas, especially during peak summer times. This bill failed in the House, demonstrating the difficult balancing act between vacationers’ wants and local residents’ safety concerns. This is a debate that is happening on the many lakes and ponds throughout our region. Lake Sunapee, for example, already has a number of areas where speed is limited.
As we all know, tourism is a huge part of summer in New Hampshire. While we benefit from the out of state dollars flowing to our local businesses, we also must deal with the headaches of increased traffic. I’m sure you’ve all sat in summer traffic jams on I-89 because of traffic backing up near White River Junction or on any number of state roads headed to popular tourist destinations. It’s not fun and that is why the proposed budget includes funding our most needed infrastructure improvements. We want those who come to the Granite State to easily enjoy our mountains, beaches and lakes so they don’t go to one of our neighbors. And, for those of us that live here year round, we want to make sure we don’t miss a family dinner or child’s little league game.
Summers in New Hampshire are a magical time. All of the pieces of the puzzle are here with our endless outdoor recreational opportunities. It is our job to ensure that we protect these advantages for future generations to come.
Senator Ruth Ward (R-Stoddard) represents District 8 in the NH Senate and is Chair of the Senate Education Committee.
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