Friday, May 4, 2012

Loons and Lead: Our Work to Protect Loons Continues

On Tuesday, May 1, Senate Bill 224 was voted 14:2 to be referred to "interim study" by the NH House Fish and Game and Marine Resources Committee. This means that the bill is effectively dead for this legislative session, pending the concurrence of the full House of Representatives on Wednesday, May 9. Below, I describe what transpired leading up to and during this committee meeting and the legislative process from this point forward - but first I want to tell you how much your advocacy helped in getting us this far.

Thank you, thank you, and thank you. Your calls, emails and letters to state legislators have, throughout this campaign, made the difference between SB224 being taken seriously and getting legislative 'traction' versus being dismissed once significant opposition kicked in. We were in this fight as an underdog - predicted to lose - and came out with the legislative equivalent of a draw. We didn't win but we remain in the game and it was because of your support that this bill continues to be taken seriously. I also very much appreciate the direct feedback that many of you have given in regard to how I have been communicating with you though this Advocacy Alert. Your words of affirmation are appreciated and your thoughtful feedback has been very helpful. I will work continuously to improve our communications, keeping you both informed and engaged in support of our mutual interests - the ecological integrity and resilience, economic vitality and essential character of our lakes and ponds.

We thought that we had done an outstanding job during the 5-hour Fish and Game and Marine Resources Committee hearing on Tuesday, April 24. By all independent accounts, and from the feedback of many committee members, we did well. Our partner, the Loon Preservation Committee (LPC), in particular, provided multiple expert witnesses and clear, peer-reviewed data that I thought made a clear and incontrovertible case for this bill. Several Senators and Representatives also spoke in favor of the bill.

Following that hearing, however, some committee members expressed their continued opposition to the bill; others expressed confusion over what they thought was conflicting testimony; and others spoke plainly that the case had been made and that they were in support of the bill. It seemed that approximately one-third of the committee respectively expressed these three sentiments. An added factor, however, was that, as far as we know, it is unprecedented for this Fish and Game and Marine Resources Committee to act contrary to the NH Fish and Game Commission. The F&G Commission, as you may recall, voted to oppose the Senate-amended version of SB224. Ultimately, the Committee Chair made the "interim study" motion, and all but two of the committee members, conflicted or otherwise, voted in favor of the motion.

So where does the bill go from here and what will be our role? Assuming that the full House concurs next week, the committee Chair will convene a subcommittee to discuss the bill, its purpose, supporting data, alternatives, etc., and issue a report. That report may result in any number or type of recommendations. That's where we come in - NH LAKES and the Loon Preservation Committee will remain involved with the study group process, of which we intend to become an integral part. We will work through this process to better understand the opposition and the concerns of the legislators who voted to study (or who opposed) this bill.

We will also keep you informed as we work through this process, possibly even finding ourselves back at the legislative grist mill trying once again to pass legislation that will better protect our loons. But that is about six months away with many conversations in between. In the meantime, thank you again for your support and please stay tuned in and in touch.

If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please feel free to contact me at tobrien@nhlakes.org or (603) 226-0299.

Tom O'Brien

President and Policy Advocate