CONCORD, N.H. — The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department held two public input sessions regarding future changes to trout fishing rules last month. To solicit public input, the Inland Fisheries Division presented their management approach and draft rule proposals. After careful scrutiny of the existing and changing environmental conditions and available data, Inland Fisheries staff felt they were ready to introduce the concepts to the public and gather feedback from anglers prior to initiating the formal rule-making process. The primary goals of this new direction are to find a balance between the biological realities of suitable habitat for the fish and angler opportunity for all user groups. A summary of the draft reclassification of waterbodies was made available through Fish and Game’s website. After reviewing the input received, the decision was made to continue refining the drafts and to postpone the formal rulemaking process this year.
“I want to thank all those who attended our public sessions and who commented on the proposal,” said Dianne Timmins, chief of the Inland Fisheries Division at NH Fish and Game. “It is important that we get feedback from constituents and consider the information from and preferences of the public in something this substantial. We realize the changes introduced are complex and a big departure from what has been done in the past. However, the habitat and the species present in New Hampshire’s waterbodies are changing, not to mention the impacts of warming weather and increased storms, so it is necessary to review these rules and make some adjustments. We absolutely want to be sure we are getting them right, so we have decided to spend more time getting feedback from constituents and fine-tuning our categories and will postpone putting forward our final proposals until a later date.”
As the guardian of the state’s fish, wildlife, and marine resources, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department works in partnership with the public to:
- Conserve, manage and protect these resources and their habitats
- Inform and educate the public about these resources
- Provide the public with opportunities to use and appreciate these resources
To learn more about the work of the Inland Fisheries Division, visit the NH Fish and Game website at wildlife.nh.gov/fishing-new-hampshire. To learn more about these proposed rules, visit wildlife.nh.gov/fishing-new-hampshire and click on the Learn More About Proposed Fishing Rules Changes box.
