§ 21-L:12-c — New Hampshire State Rail Trails Plan

The department of transportation shall update the 2005 state trails plan and document the best means to maintain and develop state-owned rail trail corridors. The updated plan shall be entitled the state rail trails plan and shall be completed on or before June 30, 2021. In developing the state rail trails plan, the department of transportation shall:
I. Update the 2005 rail corridor inventory through state records, statewide trail organizations, and regional planning commissions, including, by trail, the funding sources, and permitted uses.
II. Hire a qualified consulting firm to complete and disseminate the plan.
III. Include a statewide economic-impact analysis on the value of rail trails.
IV. Consider maintenance and cost of maintenance for rail trails, including state responsibility for the underlying structural integrity of abandoned rail corridors, while permitting trail organizations and towns to perform routine maintenance of trail surfaces and other amenities.
V. Establish a tier system for prioritizing state investments in rail trail projects, based on criteria such as geography, connectivity to other rail trails, proximity to population centers and natural attractions, and other criteria as deemed appropriate.
VI. Develop recommendations for a state funding mechanism to support rail trail projects and the management structure of such funds.
VII. Develop a template trail management agreement outlining responsibilities of state, local, and private organizations involved with management of state-owned trails.
VIII. Compile and maintain a list of trail organizations and the areas of the state each serves.
IX. Identify best practices for acquiring insurance for volunteer trail management groups.
X. Document state commitment and support for the development of rail trails for their transportation, recreation, tourism, and other economic value.
XI. Determine how to ensure the integrity of publicly owned rail trail corridors. This may include reestablishing property lines with abutting private property owners.
XII. Hold a minimum of 3 public hearings, each in a different area of the state, to solicit public comment to shape the plan and make the final plan available on the department of transportation website.
XIII. Provide a pamphlet at state information centers regarding the state trails plan.

Legislative History

2019, 240:2, eff. July 12, 2019.