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HB 1301

increasing certain mooring fees and directing such funds to the cyanobacteria mitigation loan and grant fund.

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Richard Brown and 5 co-sponsors

HB 1301 increases New Hampshire mooring fees to fund cyanobacteria mitigation and control efforts in state waterways through dedicated loan and grant programs.

Inexpedient to Legislate, MA, VV === BILL KILLED ===; 04/23/2026; SJ 10
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Bill Summary · HB 1301

Legislative bill overview

HB 1301 proposes to increase mooring fees in New Hampshire and dedicate the additional revenue to a cyanobacteria mitigation loan and grant fund. Moorings are permanent or semi-permanent anchoring systems for boats in water bodies. The bill links recreational waterway infrastructure costs directly to environmental remediation efforts.

Why is this important

Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) blooms are a growing environmental and public health concern in New Hampshire's lakes and waterways, causing water quality degradation and potential toxin exposure. By tying mooring fee increases to mitigation funding, the bill creates a dedicated revenue stream for addressing this problem while potentially shifting some environmental costs to recreational boaters who use these waters.

Potential points of contention

  • Fee burden on boaters: Mooring fee increases may disproportionately affect recreational boaters and waterfront property owners, who could view this as a regressive tax on their recreational activities.
  • Adequacy of funding mechanism: Critics may argue that mooring fees alone are insufficient to meaningfully address cyanobacteria mitigation, or that general tax revenue should fund environmental protection rather than user fees.
  • Equity concerns: Boaters may question why they specifically should fund cyanobacteria solutions when agricultural runoff and other non-recreational sources also contribute to the problem.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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