Kathryn Buzard

This bill would DESTROY everything that we love about New Hampshire. The wildlife, the open space and I am sure if it was better publiIcized there would be a hue and cry against it! I oppose HB1691 because it fundamentally undermines the purpose of New Hampshire’s Current Use program. The bill imposes arbitrary acreage limits, complicated zoning-based restrictions, and subjective “sustainability” requirements that would be difficult for municipalities to administer and nearly impossible for landowners to navigate. Current Use was created to keep open space, forests, and working lands intact; HB1691 would instead penalize responsible landowners, reduce private property rights, and create a heavy administrative burden for towns. The retroactive tax liability provision is especially concerning, as it exposes landowners to unpredictable financial risk. I urge the committee to reject HB1691 and preserve the integrity and accessibility of the Current Use program.