By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org
NORTH CONWAY – Despite protestations from the public that environmental concerns for the summit of Mount Washington are not considered more important than concerns for visitors and business interests at 6,288 feet, the commission overseeing the 60-acre state park unanimously approved a revised 10-year master plan Friday.
The plan calls for the legislature to fund a full environmental and structural assessment and those recommendations be incorporated into the plan.
Some members of the public attending the commission meeting Friday said approving the master plan is premature before conducting an environmental assessment.
Phil Bryce, who now represents the public on the commission after being state parks director, said the legislature would not likely take the matter of funding forward without a master plan in hand.
White Mountain National Forest Supervisor Derek Ibarguen said the federal approach and sequencing is similar, with federal environmental assessments informing proposed plans before a final plan is approved.
This plan is two years in the making and overdue, said state Sen. Jeb Bradley, R-Wolfeboro, who chairs the commission, but announced he would be stepping down from that role.
A facilitator was considered, but eventually a consensus was reached with a unanimous vote on the master plan.
“I like cooperation a lot better than contested procedures in court,” Bradley said. “I think funding for the environmental assessment will happen, it will be a top priority for the next legislature and in the right direction of…protection of the environment.”
The plan does not include consideration for the development of a hotel as proposed by the Cog Railway. That plan is outside of the borders of the state park and just below it and is a matter for Coos County officials and other permitting entities to decide.
But members of the public say the “Lizzie’s Station” hotel project and the state parks’ future are intertwined and should be weighed in the master plan.
Jamie Sayen of North Stratford, who authored an op-ed entitled, “Who Speaks for Mount Washington,” said: “It’s absurd for you to finalize the plan today.
“We have a problem. Human aspirations are in conflict with natural limits. We cannot change natural laws and limits…or the law of carrying capacity but we can modify human behavior.”
Sayen added, “If this master plan is adopted today it will have zero credibility.”
Bryce said the assessment is going to have more impact by waiting.
Kris Pastoriza suggested Bryce can’t speak for the public because of his past role as state parks director and said he should resign.
Lucy Wyman said an entity needs to be created to “speak for the mountain” rather than the private interests on the commission.
Bradley said his understanding is that such a body could be created by the legislature.
Members of the Mount Washington Commission include representatives appointed by the Governor and Council for the public, the Cog Railway, the Mount Washington Auto Road, the Mount Washington Observatory, State Parks, TownSquare Media (operators of transmission towers at the summit), the Appalachian Mountain Club and state elected officials.
Allen Brooks of the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, is assigned to legally advise the commission.
Members of the public, however, asked who speaks for the mountain itself and its diminishing alpine zone in the face of climate change and over-popularity among the interests of those entities.
At two public hearings this summer – one in North Conway and one in Concord – members of the public overwhelmingly urged the plan to include an environmental assessment.
The vote on the final plan Friday was held at the Pope Memorial Public Library in North Conway in a packed meeting room where the public was allowed to speak.
State Rep. Karen Umberger, R-Kearsarge, said the passage of the document was only the beginning.
“I think we have a lot more work to do,” Umberger said. “I do want to say that as someone mentioned we were not shouting at each other through this whole process, so this is good. I am really excited we are getting down to our last vote.”
Ibarguen said the plan’s key words are “preservation” and “environment…because we want to do it right by the landscape. This models that very thing.”
Howie Wemyss, representing the Auto Road asked for stronger language, that the master plan incorporate recommendations of the assessment.
He said after the vote when the language was changed that he feels it is a much better document than it was a few months ago.
“At some point, we all collectively have to understand we are talking about an incredibly sensitive environment,” Wemyss said.
A link to the draft 24-page document is here https://www.nhstateparks.org/getmedia/6cefd76a-05b5-4ae6-bd60-5bcd11131379/Mt-Wash-Master-Plan-10-20-22.pdf
When the final version is posted, the major revision will be in the implementation paragraph on page 13 of the draft plan, according to Umberger. The last sentence has been modified to replace “consider” with “shall” and add the other recommendations of the master plan.
The master plan still needs to go before the Governor and Executive Council for approval. That could come in a matter of months.
The Mount Washington Commission meets next on Jan. 27, 2023, at 10 a.m. with a location to be determined.
Disclaimer: Lucy Wyman serves on InDepthNH.org’s board of directors. She offered her opinion at Friday’s meeting. InDepthNH.org takes no position on political matters, but welcomes diverse opinions.
