Limited Environmental Stewardship Threatens Natural Resources

The Challenge: New Hampshire’s forests, lakes, rivers, and rural character are central to many residents’ sense of place and there are major concerns about contamination, out-of-state waste, overdevelopment, and long-term stewardship. What do New Hampshire residents think? Contributors described concerns about the long-term health of the state’s natural environment. One wrote: “I’d like to plead that we protect our forests, water and soils from polluting companies and landfills. Please stop accepting trash from other states. We need leaders who care more about what makes this state a true natural treasure.” Others framed it as an obligation to future generations: “Conservation of natural resources — water, forest, fields. We need to care for the environment.” Specific concerns included water quality: “Contamination of water sources like ponds, lakes, rivers etc.” Another contributor focused on land: “Keeping our nature preservations and woodlands intact — no roads or buildings.” Across responses, contributors emphasized that the state’s environmental character is both a defining feature and a vulnerable one, and they called for stronger protections from contamination, overdevelopment, and external waste streams.