The New Hampshire Aquatic Resource Mitigation Program at the Department of Environmental Services announced today that up to $153,000 is available through the Aquatic Resource Mitigation (ARM) Fund for eligible projects within the Winnipesaukee River Watershed. In 2007, DES adopted rules establishing the ARM Fund, which provides an in-lieu fee payment alternative for permit applicants to consider when striving to meet state and federal wetland mitigation requirements. Payments are deposited into 16 watershed accounts which then can be used for aquatic resource restoration projects or to permanently protect wetlands with high conservation value. The deadline for grant applications is December 31, 2009.

The Winnipesaukee River Watershed will be the fourth of the 16 watershed ARM Fund accounts to be ready for release. As these funds are tied to wetland mitigation requirements, the proposal ranking criteria will favor those projects that restore and permanently protect the functions and values of aquatic resources that were lost within the watershed during the grant cycle. The primary functions lost include wildlife habitat, sediment/nutrient retention and floodflow alteration.

Grant application information is available on the DES Wetlands Bureau website at www.des.nh.gov. Once on the DES homepage, click on the A-Z list on the upper right hand corner of the screen and scroll down to Wetlands Bureau, and find Mitigation under Related Programs (http://des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/wetlands/wmp/index.htm). For further assistance, contact Lori Sommer, Mitigation Coordinator at (603) 271-4059 or lori.sommer@des.nh.gov.