North Country Council Projects

This page describes a sampling of the many different projects North Country Council is currently involved in or has recently completed.

Economic Development

Coos Economic Action Plan

The Coos Economic Action Plan (EAP) is a detailed, five-year economic action plan for Coos County. It was developed under the guidance of a steering committee of County leaders. The project was funded by EDA, DRED, the Tillotson Foundation, and CDFA. Read more here.

Groveton Mill Reuse Initiative

Over the past several years, North Country Council has focused over $440,000 in resources on activities designed to lay the groundwork for the sustainable redevelopment of the Wausau Mill and Groveton Paper Board properties and the revitalization of this community and the surrounding area. These activities began with a combined heat & power district heating feasibility study and downtown market study of Groveton Village. See Publications Page for Market study. Learn more about district heating here.

More recently, several Brownfields Assessments have been conducted on the Wausau Mill and Groveton Paper Board properties, the wastewater treatment plant, and the lagoon system. The final supplemental Phase II Assessment is nearing completion. The Assessments indicate some very positive news for the redevelopment of the mill properties. Depending on the final re-use, the extent and type of clean-up required is nothing out of the ordinary for any large industrial site. The full assessment reports can be found here.

The Groveton Mill Re-Use Feasibility Study has concluded that there is excellent re-use potential at the site for technology-assisted agriculture. This would include indoor crop production and value-added products, and could incorporate combined heat and power production. Preston Gilbert's final report (4 MB PDF) and powerpoint presentation (100 MB pptx) on this specific re-use can be downloaded here.

Where do we go from here?

North Country Council is now embarking on a 6 month effort, in coordination with the NH Business Resource Center/DRED and other community partners such as CEDC, the Northumberland Selectboard, and the property owner to bring together the public and private sectors to explore the potential for a public-private partnership united behind a defined re-use of the Groveton Mill site.

Towards that end, meetings are being scheduled to bring interested partners together. The NH Business Resource Center at DRED is actively working with potential purchasers, investors, and developers. The contact person for these activities is Michael Bergeron at mbergeron@dred.state.nh.us

North Country Council is leading a coalition of public agencies to look at investment opportunities that could be coordinated with the private effort. The contact person for these activities is Patricia Garvin at pgarvin@nccouncil.org .

January 2011 Update:

Following upon a year’s worth of small group meetings, a meeting was held on Sept. 16, 2010 at the NH DRED’s office which brought together potential private investors with 4 public investor agencies, 3 state agencies, PSNH, 3 local development organizations, the White Mtns. Community College, the NH Small Business Development Center, and representatives of 3 of NH’s congressional delegation. Interested investors continue to tour the mill site.

As a result of this meeting, NCC submitted an application to the Neil and Louise Tillotson Fund for 40% of the project costs and has now been invited to submit a full proposal. If this full proposal is approved, an application can be submitted to EDA for their next funding round in April 2011 for the remaining 60% of the funds needed, as EDA now requires matching funds to be in place prior to application deadlines. The EDA application will develop a business and marketing plan based on controlled environment agriculture and combined heat and power and a business plan for public/private ownership of different parts of the facility. It will also develop engineering estimates for operational readiness and operational/maintenance costs for the wastewater treatment plant and create GIS maps which identify the best sites for additional natural gas access points.

Dartmouth Regional Technology Center Expansion

The Dartmouth Regional Technology Center (DRTC) has received funding from the US Dept of Commerce, Economic Development Administration in the amount of $4,333,786 to begin the expansion of this very successful business incubator. Ground-breaking will take place in May, 2010, and will take approximately one year to complete. The existing 32,500 square foot incubator has served 38 high-growth technology start-up companies since opening in 2006, resulting in the creation of over 150 jobs. The demand for laboratory space is high and this is the perfect time to expand the facility to meet this demand. This new 28,000 square foot addition will continue to be a regional economic development driver, attracting new businesses designed to commercialize technology-based innovations in precision technology, biotech, biomedical, environmental and life sciences. Businesses locating at the DRTC are provided with business development services and entrepreneurial education programs through a management contract with Dartmouth College’s “Dartmouth Entrepreneurial Network (DEN) office, located at the DRTC.

The EDA grant is supported by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

I hereby certify for the North Country Council that the following described ARRA infrastructure investment has received the full review and vetting required by law and that as the authorized representative of the North Country Council accepts responsibility that the infrastructure investment for the Dartmouth Regional Technology Center expansion project is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars.

Michael King, Executive Director

For more information, go to www.recovery.gov

Brownfields Assessment Program

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has selected North Country Council to inventory and assess Brownfields sites within our planning region. The grant can be used to identify and characterize known or potential petroleum-contaminated site and sites with all other hazardous contamination. The grant is also used to conduct approved Phase I and Phase II assessments. Read more about Brownfields here. For more information on how this program can help your community, contact Pat Garvin at pgarvin@nccouncil.org or 603-444-6303 ext. 25.

“Stronger Economies Together” (SET)

NCC served on the steering committee of this project and assisted with evaluation of applications to the initiative. USDA Rural Development, in conjunction with the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development, is sponsoring “Stronger Economies Together” (SET), a new program that provides strategic planning and other technical assistance to bolster projects in multi-county areas in rural Vermont and New Hampshire. The “Keep Growing Initiative” sponsored by the Ammonoosuc Land Trust (ACT) will receive training and technical assistance tailored to their project in order to achieve their community economic development goals of improving the local food system. The intent of the program is to foster regional collaboration. NCC would like to include agriculture as an emerging industrial cluster in the 2012 CEDS update.

Glynwood Foundation Local Agriculture Initiative

Both the SET project and the Glywood Initistive offer synergies with the Groveton Mill Reuse Strategy and may become critical elements of a cluster-based food production strategy. A “Strategic Economic Plan to Keep Growing” working group convened by ACT proposes to lead grassroots, community-based work to assess our local agricultural economy and local food system, and create a Strategic Economic Plan to Keep Growing. This strategy and action plan will have clear, achievable, measurable outcomes and actions to build a local food movement and agricultural system that creates new business and job opportunities, attracts our own young people back to the area, attracts new agricultural entrepreneurs of all ages, and reinforces and builds on the economic and sustainable community development work of the North Country Council.

I6 Challenge

NCC has partnered with the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry to create a Proof of Concept Center to commercialize patented wood technology and could be located at the now vacant Groveton Mill. This center would span political boundaries and contribute to the provision of locally derived food, fuels, energy, and sustainable bio-products in the economic and regional context of the northeast. The Center would make funding, technical assistance and educational services available to partnered businesses.

The Proof of Concept Center being proposed will play a leadership role in the creation and integration of 5 business clusters in the Northeast: Salix (Willow) Culture and Processing, Water Derived Bio Products (including multiple biofuels), Bio Process Equipment Engineering and Fabrication, Wood Products Enhancement, Combined Heat and Power - Controlled Environment Agriculture - Food Processing, and Power Generation - District Heating. It will expand economic opportunity and the utilization of wood fiber competitiveness in a socially conscious / environmentally responsible way

The project would develop and apply technological advancements that will:

Redefine the Northern Forest Economy by developing 5 wood fiber based economic development clusters with our business, academic and nonprofit partners; these clusters would introduce technologies that will diversify and expand the business sectors and create tens of thousands of jobs across the entire metropolitan northeast “Megaregion” while extracting maximum value from regional wood resources;
Grow affordable food and fuel for the region at a time when both gasoline and food costs are climbing precipitously;
Develop a minimum of 15 sustainable bio products that will displace fossil fuels and corn based bio materials (like gasoline, corn based PLA and others) with safe native New England wood fiber based bio chemicals and biomaterials. These chemicals and materials will be extracted and processed in a safe and environmentally friendly manner from Northern Forest fiber that is grown under sustainable forest practices supporting the new economy and environmental protection goals;
Rejuvenate the wood products economic cluster and enhance the functionality and efficiency of wood chips as a material in existing and future products;
Contribute to the urban food supply of the 5 Northeast Megaregion cities from the 142 + counties described in the RPA Megaregion Study with food that is safe, secure and local; moreover it will be delivered with a lower carbon footprint than food that is brought from great distances;
Introduce new technologies to agriculture and strengthen conventional farming with new energy producing sustainable crops that conserve the environment and improve water quality in the Northeast’s 2 great rivers (the Hudson and the Connecticut);
Transform the New England “Megaregion” into an efficient energy production region and enhanced food production region, while we strengthen economic infrastructure in the process;
And present a model strategy to repurpose 75 brownfield paper mill sites and other post industrial sites in the Northeastern 6 states saving 50,000 jobs, stabilizing 75 communities and hundreds of counties; at the same time it will spin off numerous “second wave” businesses.

Colebrook Flood Mitigation Grant

NCC wrote and is administering a $1.4 million grant on behalf of the Town of Colebrook to make flood mitigation repairs and improvements on the Mohawk and Connecticut Rivers. The work on the Mohawk River in the downtown area will stabilize the riverbank and bury water lines more deeply. The work on the Connecticut River at the Colebrook Industrial Park will remediate years of flood damage which caused the riverbank to dangerously erode. Match funding for the this project facilitated through NCC includes the support of NH DES, NH Fish and Game, the NH Conservation Commission and the Neil and Louise Tillotson Fund of the NH Charitable Foundation.

Androscoggin Valley Regional Refuse Disposal District (AVRRDD) Gas Pipeline Project

This was a $5 million clean energy project with EDA participation just shy of $1 million. The completed project will supply the Cascade Mill in Gorham with a tap into the Portland Natural Gas line and will utilize landfill gases formerly flared at the Mt. Carberry Landfill to create energy at the mill. This new affordable energy supply has been deemed essential to the mills current and future competitiveness as a heavy industrial site which creates quality jobs. There are approximately 200 jobs and $50 million in county gross product to be retained by this project. Although the awarded EDA funds will be turned back due to the new owner of the mill no longer needing federal support, NCC was an integral partner in attracting major new investment the Gorham Mill.

MWVEC Tech Village Expansion

NCC has assisted the MWVEC in receiving a Northern Borders regional commission (NRBC) grant to extend an access road and utilities to business park acreage behind the EDA funded incubator building. There are two companies who are interested in locating in the business park upon completion of the access road.

Littleton/GCEDC/Rotobec CDBG

Rotobec is a company located in the EDA-funded Littleton Industrial Park which is expanding. NCC is assisted the business and the Grafton County EDC by writing a CDBG grant for a low interest business loan through the EDC.

Community Planning

Monroe Master Plan

The Monroe Planning Board adopted their new Master Plan on August 4, 2011. The plan can be downloaded here:

Cover Pages
Text (23 MB)
Prime Farmland Soils Map (13 MB)
Water Resources Map (12 MB)
Development Suitability Map (14 MB)

Easton Master Plan

The Easton Planning Board began their master plan update with a community survey and a build-out analysis. The results of each were examined and found to be markedly different, i.e. what residents want for a future and what the town is currently zoned for are very different. In 2009 - 2010, North Country Council staff worked with the Planning Board to develop a set of policies and recommendations to bring the town in a direction more consistent with residents' desires. The new master plan can be downloaded here (14 MB Word).

Assistance to Local River Advisory Committees

Ammonoosuc River

In 2007, the Ammonoosuc joined the Connecticut, Pemigewasset, Swift an Photo courtesy of Brett Woodvine's Flickr collection. d Saco as North Country rivers designated for protection under the New Hampshire Rivers Management and Protection Program. North Country Council staff is working with the Ammonoosuc River Local Advisory Committee (LAC) to develop a corridor management plan pursuant to RSA 483:10. This work is funded in part by the Upper Connecticut River Mitigation and Enhancement Fund administered by the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. Some additional support was provided by NHDES utilizing EPA Section 604(b) funds and ARRA funds. Read more about the fluvial geomorphology assessment performed by Field Geology Services in support of the corridor plan here.

Pemigewasset River

North Country Council recently assisted Lakes Region Planning Commission with a survey of Pemigewasset River residents as a first step in the update of the 2001 Corridor Management Plan. The "Pemi" has its headwaters in Franconia and flows through Lincoln, Woodstock, Thornton, Campton, Plymouth and several Lakes RPC towns before joining the Winnipesaukee River in Franklin to form the Merrimack River. The survey results are summarized in a press release which can be downloaded by clicking here. For complete results click here. See www.lakesrpc.org for updates on this project.

Looking for ways to save money and help make your municipality more efficient?

The Energy Technical Assistance and Planning for New Hampshire Communities (ETAP) is a two year program providing energy efficiency technical assistance at no charge to municipalities and counties in NH. ETAP's goal is to advance energy efficiency in all New Hampshire municipalities and provide the tools communities need to monitor energy performance. ETAP is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 and administered through New Hampshire's Office of Energy and Planning.

For more information, please download the Energy Technical Assistance & Planning For New Hampshire Communities Flyer.

Broadband Mapping & Planning

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) awarded the University of New Hampshire (UNH) approximately $1.2 million for broadband data collection and mapping activities over a two-year period and nearly $500,000 for broadband planning activities over a five-year period in New Hampshire. The program, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will increase broadband access and adoption through better data collection and broadband planning. The data will be displayed in NTIA’s national broadband map, a tool that will inform policymakers’ efforts and provide consumers with improved information on the broadband Internet services available to them. UNH has partnered with New Hampshire’s nine regional planning commissions including North Country Council (NCC) to assist in the collection of broadband data.

The 1^st phase of the project will be the collection of Community Anchor Institutes. These facilities include at a minimum: Schools (K-12), libraries, medical and healthcare providers, public safety entities, institutions of higher education, other community support government, other community support non-government. The following base information will be collected for each facility: Name, address, facility type, broadband service, service provider, technology of transmission, advertised download and upload speeds.

A staff member from NCC will be contacting these facilities over the next few weeks to gather this information. If there is a specific person who can answer these questions, please forward their contact information to James Steele at jsteele@nccouncil.org or 444-6303 ext. 15.

North Country Rideshare

North Country Council received Federal Transit Administration funds through NHDOT to develop, launch and promote "North Country RideShare": an initiative to promote NH RideShare, a free carpool matching service, and provide public education to increase participation in the program in the North Country. North Country RideShare will offer some residents an alternative to single occupancy vehicle commutes, and, for others who have no vehicle at all, a means to travel to employment where none now exists. Finding an alternative means to and from employment or appointments will reduce commuting costs for community members, saving money in the long run.

This start-up phase will include developing and facilitating an advisory committee, developing a North Country webpage linked to NH Rideshare, developing promotional materials, and conducting outreach to residents of four pilot communities – Whitefield, Lancaster, Northumberland and Stratford, both in town and on-site at major employers serving that labor market area.

Hazard Mitigation

North Country Council has been working with communities to develop hazard mitigation plans since the Disaster Mitigation Act (DMA) was first enacted in 2000. Local governments are required to prepare and adopt hazard mitigation plans meeting strict federal and state and requirements as a condition to receiving Hazard Mitigation Grants or certain disaster relief funds. Federal funds have been available through NH Homeland Security & Emergency Management (HSEM) to conduct this work.

In 2006-07, North Country Council led a pilot program for the creation of Wildfire Mitigation Plans. Subsequently, FEMA has integrated wildfire mitigation with hazard mitigation to create the new format, Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plans. With collaboration from the US Forest Service (USFS), North Country Resource Conservation and Development (NCRC&D) and NH Forests and Lands (DRED), the Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan is written to gain acceptance not only as a FEMA approved hazard mitigation plan but also as a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) approved by DRED. Designation as a Community Wildfire Protection Plan provides community access to federal funding for hazardous fuels reduction and other mitigation projects supported by the US Forest Service. By merging the two federal planning processes (hazard and wildfire), duplication is eliminated and the town has access to a larger pool of resources for pre-disaster planning.

Most North Country towns have completed their initial Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plans and now are working on their first five-year updates. Download a sample plan here (2.7 MB PDF).

Innovative Land Use Guidebook

North Country Council is pleased to announce the publication of Innovative Land Use Planning Techniques - A Handbook for Sustainable Development The Handbook was written collaboratively by staff of the state's eight regional planning commissions, with input from NH Department of Environmental Services (NHDES), NH Office of Energy and Planning, and NH Municipal Association. The project, spearheaded by the NH Association of Regional Planning Commissions, was funded through the NHDES Regional Environmental Planning Program (REPP).The purpose of the Handbook is to provide details on how to develop and create innovative land use controls as established under RSA 674:21 Innovative Land Use Controls.

Samle Handbook Topics:

Lot Size Averaging - One Size Does Not Fit All
Conservation Subdivision
Agricultural Incentive Zoning
Stormwater Management
Steep Slopes and Ridgeline Protection
Habitat Management
Wetlands Protection
Protection of Groundwater and Surface Water Resources
Shoreland Protection: The Importance of Riparian Buffers
Flood Hazard Area Zoning
Access Management
Preserving Dark Skies

To view or download the entire Innovative Land Use Planning Techniques guidebook, or specific chapters, go to the NHDES website.

If your community is interested in free assistance using one of these innovative land use techniques, or would like to learn more about them, please contact Tara Bamford at tbamford@nccouncil.org or 603-444-6303.