31 New Hampshire communities received good news yesterday. The state?s Land and Community Heritage Investment Program? -- better known as ?L-CHIP? -- has approved their applications under the program?s second round of grants. However, an equal number of communities received the bad news that their applications fell short. L-CHIP officials say they?re doing the best they can with limited funding. NHPR?s Doug MacPherson reports.
WHEN BRAD WYMAN, THE CHAIRMAN OF L-CHIP?S BOARD OF DIRECTORS, STEPPED UP TO THE PODIUM TO ANNOUNCE THE WINNERS IN L-CHIP?S SECOND ROUND OF FUNDING, HE ALMOST SOUNDED APOLOGETIC.
TAPE BRAD WYMAN the program received 70 proposals from 59 different communities, from Whitefield to Hinsdale to Portsmouth. Those 70-applicants requested nearly 13-million dollars, and they were competing for only four million dollars that we had on hand. :18
OF THE THREE-POINT-FIVE MILLION DOLLARS AWARDED, THE LARGEST GRANT WAS FOR 350-THOUSAND DOLLARS ? IT WENT TO BOSCAWEN, TO HELP FINANCE A COMPLETE RENOVATION OF PENACOOK ACADEMY, WHICH WILL BE USED FOR TOWN OFFICES.
THE SMALLEST GRANT WAS FOR LESS THAN 7-THOUSAND DOLLARS ? IT WILL BE USED FOR REPAIR WORK AT THE NEW HAMPSHIRE FARM MUSEUM IN MILTON. THE AVERAGE GRANT WAS FOR 107-THOUSAND DOLLARS.
TAPE RACHEL ROUILLARD those people are just elated.
IT FALLS TO RACHEL ROUILLARD, L-CHIP?S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, TO TELEPHONE THE LUCKY RECIPIENTS.
TAPE RACHEL ROUILLARD Because they know there?s a lot of competition; they are so dedicated to their project, and they?re just thrilled to be able to be recognized by l-chip. It also helps leverage a lot of funds at the local level. : 12
OF COURSE, IT ALSO FALLS TO ROUILLARD TO TELEPHONE THE LOSING APPLICANTS. THE HARDEST OF THESE ARE TO APPLICANTS WHO RE-APPLIED AFTER LOSING OUT ON THE FIRST ROUND OF GRANTS AWARDED LAST YEAR?
TAPE ROUILLARD Who are just so disappointed that they didn?t get it. A lot of these projects still have a lot of merit, and are really good projects. And then, there are the other folks who are just disappointed because this was the first time around and it was a new process for them. And they felt maybe they didn?t do as good a proposal as they should have and they blame themselves, even though we tell them it?s just because we didn?t have enough money. :22
AMONG THOSE IN THE FIRST CATEGORY, THOSE APPLYING FOR A SECOND TIME, IS MICHAEL KLINE. KLINE DIRECTS THE TIN MOUNTAIN CONSERVATION CENTER IN CONWAY. HE WAS SEEKING 200-THOUSAND DOLLARS FROM L-CHIP FOR ?THE BALD HILL PROJECT? ? TO PRESERVE A 200-ACRE FARM IN ALBANY, WHICH KLINE BELIEVES HAS TREMENDOUS NATURAL RESOURCE, HISTORIC, AND CULTURAL VALUE.
TAPE KLINE as I told Rachel, I?ve written many grants in my lifetime, and this is the strongest grant I?ve ever written. So I was pretty ? I was disappointed, and a little bit surprised. :13
KLINE DOESN?T KNOW WHAT HIS NEXT MOVE IS.
TAPE KLINE the board, whether they know it or not, has sent a message to us. You gotta think, well maybe there?s something about this project that doesn?t meet their criteria. I?d like to think that it was simply a matter of funds that are available. So, I guess we haven?t shut the door on round three. :19
BUT KLINE SAYS TIME IS RUNNING OUT ? A PORTION OF THE FARM IS ALREADY ON THE MARKET.
AS PASSED BY STATE LAWMAKERS, L-CHIP WAS DESIGNED TO BE A PERMANENT PROGRAM, FUNDED AT 12-MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR. AS IT IS, THE PROGRAM HAS 5-MILLION DOLLARS THIS YEAR, 7-MILLION NEXT YEAR, WITH UNCERTAIN PROSPECTS BEYOND THAT. THIS WAS NOT THE WAY IT WAS SUPPOSED TO WORK, ACCORDING TO CHARLES NIEBLING, POLICY DIRECTOR FOR THE SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF NEW HAMPSHIRE FORESTS.
TAPE NIEBLING Preserving the working landscape in nh, the rural character of the state, the historic character of downtowns, is not something you do in one big, massive project. You do it in small, incremental steps forward over the period of many, many, many years. :13
NIEBLING SAYS THE WHOLE POINT OF L-CHIP WAS TO ENCOURAGE COMMUNITIES TO DO LONG-TERM PLANNING. WITH AN UNDER-FUNDED PROGRAM FACING AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE, HE FEARS THAT WON?T HAPPEN.
THE FOREST SOCIETY IS ONE OF 140-GROUPS THAT FORMED A COALITION IN SUPPORT OF PASSING L-CHIP. LAST YEAR, LAWMAKERS REJECTED THEIR PROPOSAL TO DEVOTE ABOUT 10-PERCENT OF THE EXISTING REAL ESTATE TRANSFER TAX TO L-CHIP. REALTORS OPPOSED THAT. NIEBLING SAYS THE COALITION WILL TRY AGAIN.
TAPE NIEBLING We don?t know exactly what the funding mechanism is that we will propose next year. But we do know that we?re going to be seeking the full 12 million a year that the land and community heritage commission recommended ? what, almost four years ago now. :13
MEANWHILE, L-CHIP WILL SOON BE ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF GRANTS. FOR N-H-P-R NEWS, I?M DOUG MACPHERSON.
