III. Local Support
There is strong local support for the designation of the Souhegan River into the Rivers Management and Protection Program (RMPP). The Souhegan Watershed Association -- with the help of the Nashua Regional Planning Commission and the New Hampshire Rivers Council - initiated the effort to designate the Souhegan River into the RMPP. The Association held a series of public informational meetings to discuss the merits of the nomination and to present information about the Rivers Management and Protection Program. The widely publicized workshops were held in the Towns of Merrimack, Milford and New Ipswich. These efforts culminated in June 1999 when the Souhegan Watershed Association submitted its nomination to the Department of Environmental Services for the designation of the Souhegan River into the Rivers Management and Protection Program.
The Souhegan Watershed Association also met with local boards and commissions in the six towns along the Souhegan River to discuss the nomination with local officials and to determine the level of local support. As a result of these meetings, the Department of Environmental Services received sixteen letters of support from local officials. Five of these letters came from boards of selectmen, five were from planning boards, and six came from conservation commissions. The Department received nine additional letters of support and petitions from interested individuals and organizations. There were no letters of opposition. At the public hearing on the nomination, which was held in Milford on August 31, 1999, the testimony was overwhelmingly supportive. All of those who testified spoke in favor of the nomination.