Quote:
Originally Posted by Descant
DES has stated on multiple occasions that "Temporary seasonal docks" are not an environmental issue. To me, they should get out of the business of things that are not an environmental issue, but they, like any bureaucracy, just can't give something up. It is hard to tell from Onshore's post if DES is giving up an issue where they never should have been in the first place (my opinion). By drawing TSD's into the law, DES put themselves in the awkward position of resolving lot line and grandfathered dock placement, grandfathered positions, etc. Now, they are trying to move out of that situation, but there is some history that is difficult to ignore.
Especially on small lakes in southern NH where folks have moved in and converted camps to year round housing, the questions about dock placement and grandfathering are most complex, but they need to set rules that apply to all lakes. Very difficult. I appreciaite Onshore's posts to keep us up to date.
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NHDES does the work the NH Legislature and Executive Branch assigns to it. As early as 1969 laws were adopted to regulate non-tidal docks and require that they receive approve from the State. In 1978, language was added to those laws by the NH Legislature, with the signature of the Governor, making it clear that these laws applied to seasonal docks in non-tidal waters as well. NHDES was not created until 1985, at which time the NH Legislature, with the approval of the Governor, assigned these pre-existing responsibilities to it by incorporating the pre-existing Water Resource Board and the Special Board into the newly formed agency.
We at NHDES are truly hopeful that this new tool granted to us by the NH Legislature will allow us to fulfill the responsibilities they have previously assigned to us in a more efficient and transparent manner.