Conservation linked to economic growth

CONCORD, N.H. – Tourism generates significant revenue for New England states, but excessive development may hurt those figures, some officials say.

Many tourists are eager to get away from congestion in their homes states, said Tom Curren, president of New Hampshire’s Lakes Region Conservation Trust.

He argues New Hampshire is losing visitors to Maine and Vermont because of expanding development around the popular tourist attractions of Lake Winnipesaukee and the White Mountain National Forest.

But New Hampshire fares well by the numbers. More than 1.56 million acres are protected from development here – that’s more than 25 percent of the state’s total land area. Nearly half of that land is part of the federal White Mountain National Forest.

Maine has protected more than 1.25 million acres, or about 6 percent of its total land area.

Stu Arnett, director of the New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development, said there are economic benefits to protecting open space. Quality of life is part of what attracts new businesses to the state, he said.

Tim Glidden, director of Land for Maine’s Future at the Office of State Planning, agrees economic growth and conservation must be considered in tandem.

“Open space and conserved land are clearly vital to a region’s economy, especially in southern Maine, where there is so much growth and so many visitors come into the area for its natural beauty,” he said.

Alan Caron, executive director of Grow Smart Maine, said he understands the state’s needs to promote some growth to create jobs and generate tax revenue. But he doesn’t want that to lead to the loss of natural resources and the state’s cultural heritage.

“I think we’re losing the battle in southern Maine,” he said. “There’s no question about it. The Boston suburbs are now stretching into southern Maine and southern New Hampshire.”

Richard England, an economics professor at the University of New Hampshire’s Whittemore School of Business and Economics, said New Hampshire and Maine leaders must strike the right balance between growth and preservation.

“The real challenge facing state and local officials is how to preserve forest, farm and wetland areas from development and at the same time make housing affordable,” said England.

“It can be done, but elected officials will have to look carefully at transportation projects, zoning regulations and building codes and the property tax to see whether these public policies promote smart growth or not.”

Chris Wells, policy director for the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, said the task is daunting but not impossible.

“We have got the challenge and the opportunity to do it better than some of the places we are from,” he said.