Lon Cohen

As a waterfront homeowner I write to oppose HB 629 as presented. I recognize the need for the state to fund maintenance of dams but I oppose the idea that the cost for this maintenance should be funded solely by waterfront owners on the lake within NH. First, as I have been so often told by authorities, the waters of these lakes are the property of the State, not the waterfornt property owners. The lakes created by these dams benefit all of the peoples of the state. Non-waterfront owners fish, swim, and recreate in the lakes; non-waterfront business owners in the area of the lakes derive significant revenues from the people that live and enjoy the lakes; and lastly, the State itself benefits from these lakes not only thru waterfront property owner's boat registration fees and gas tax revenue but also from: out-of-state and NH non-waterfront boat owners registration fees, gas taxes and, toll fees to get to these lakes to recreate; road tolls, gas taxes and meal taxes of tourists who visit the lakes; and, business taxes from those non-waterfront business that would not exist were it not for the lakes Second, the State maintains contracts with independent commercial owners of a significant number of the state's dams. These contracts require the operators of these dams to maintain them. These contracts should be enforced before the State asks the peoples of the state, or even a small sub section of same to pay for the required maintenance of the dams. Lastly, property owners downstream from the state's dams benefit greatly from good maintenance practices and upkeep of these dams. Restaurants and bars may enjoy beautiful views over the meandering rivers and streams created by the outflow from the dams, homeowner's property may be inundated by flood waters should a dam fail, once again the State benefits by the creation of slower flowing rivers and streams that attract people from throughout the state and region to recreational activities and the revenues they produce. For the reasons above, and for those reasons I am sure I have not thought about and mentioned, the costs to maintain dams that maintain the State's lakes should not be borne solely by the state's waterfront property owners but should be borne broadly by the whole peoples of the state. For these reasons I oppose HB 629 as presented. Thank You