Our Mission is to Conserve and Sustain the Natural Environment for Present and Future Generations by working to make Wise Land Use Decisions.
The Rockingham County Conservation District (RDDC) delivers soil and water conservation at the local level.~ The RCCD was formed in 1946 as a legal sub-division of the State of New Hampshire and is directed by a Board of Supervisors, a state appointed governing body made up of five residents of the county.~ The position of District Supervisor is a public office and as such the Board of Supervisors has a legal and moral responsibility to the people of the District, its constituents.
The Conservation District offers numerous services to both towns and individuals including the following:
Site Plan Reviews
Staff are available on a fee basis to provide detailed site plan reviews for Towns to ensure proposed developments meet state and local requirements.
Municipal Development Reviews
Staff are available to review proposed municipal development plans for the Towns and State on a fee basis.
Review of Erosion and Sediment Control Plans
Staff are available to review Erosion and Sediment Control Plans for Towns or individuals on a fee basis.
Witness Wastewater Disposal Test Pits
Soils staff are available to observe tests completed by consultants to determine design requirements for wastewater disposal on a fee basis.
Wastewater Disposal System Reviews
Staff are available to review designs for wastewater disposal for towns or individuals on a fee basis.
Municipal Grant Writing Assistance
Staff are available to assist Towns and Municipal officials with information and data to document needs for writing grant proposals
Current Use Application Assistance
Staff are available to assist individuals with information and calculations necessary to apply for current use status.
Site Review for Pond Construction
Engineering and soils staff are available to complete site visits for individuals to determine if the site is suitable for a pond or other type of water storage structure.~ These are performed on a fee basis by the staff.
Soil Potential Index (SPI)
Staff are available to assist individuals and towns with obtaining necessary soils information and making needed calculations to determine the SPI for their property.
Conservation Easement Program
Staff are available to work with individuals and towns that want to protect property for future generations.~ Easements are used to protect property from future development and to maintain it as open space.~ For a copy of the "Land Preservation Program and Policies" please go to http://rockinghamccd.org/Documents/Land%20Preservation.pdf.
Educational Programs
Staff are available to work with schools and educational institutions in delivering information and conducting field exercises to help educate students about natural resources and conservation.
Conservation Poster Contest
The district sponsors an annual poster contest for students depicting their knowledge of conservation.~
Technical Publications and Information
The district has various technical publications, guides, brochures, and fact sheets about numerous topics about conservation and natural resource protection.~ Some are free and some are available at a nominal cost.
The Conservation District also offers several sales programs as follows:
Conservation Plant Sale
A spring bare-root transplant sale includes deciduous and coniferous trees, landscape shrubs, fruit trees, berry bushes, and other plant material.~ The tree and shrub sales starts mid-January.~ Orders for the plant sales close in March with delivery in early May.~The 2008 program is underway.~ Please feel free to review the following information of what we are offering this year.~ We try to add some new varieties each year, keep some old favorites and offer miscellaneous items associated with your gardening needs.~ Click here to download the order form.~ Click here to download the descriptions.
Fall Bulb Sale
The Board of Supervisors voted not to offer a fall bulb sale in 2007 due to declining sales. Please watch our web site for a future program.
Trout Stocking
Trout stocking for ponds every spring.~ Rainbow and Brook Trout size 6-8" ordered in multiples of 25 already for pick up or large 10-12", minimum order of 50, are delivered directly to pond.~ The sales program for Trout begins in early March with delivery normally in late April.~~ We have stocked tens-of-thousands over the years to happy pond owners and fishing derby sponsors.
Barley Straw to Control Pond Algae
Excess algae growth is one of the most common problems occurring in ponds.~ In recent years, the use of barley straw has become more common in other parts of the country as an alternative method for controlling excessive algae growth.~ When applied at the proper time and rate, barley straw has been a very successful algae control technique in ponds.~ Click here to find out more information and download order information.
The Rockingham County Conservation District has an office staff of 5 people and another 7 professionals who are contracted to carry out the work of the Conservation District.
Through their work with conservation easements the district now manages more than 80 different easements protecting over 3800 acres of land. Their efforts have been hugely successful in helping to maintain Rockingham County’s rural characteristics. In Plaistow the conservation district monitors the Cox Farm easement and it was the staff at the district that put us in touch with Charles Marino – a forester who the Plaistow Conservation Commission contracted to generate a forest management plan for our Town Forest
The Conservation Commission has been in contact with the Conservation District many times over the past years for advice on current use, best management practices, and soils information. More information about the services available to all of us from the conservation district can be found on their web site: http://rockinghamccd.org
Respectfully submitted,
Timothy Moore
Plaistow Conservation Commission
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