New Hampshire Environmental Consultants LLC

Existing permitted or grandfathered seasonal docks which can be repaired out of the water do not need a permit provided they are repaired in like kind.  Repairing permitted or grandfathered permanent docks require a permit if work will be conducted in the water.

The maximum dock length varies depending on the distance along your propery's shoreline, the water body in question, and site specific criteria.  You may be able to have a longer dock than the maximum listed in the NH DES standards if your site is subject to inadequate depth or navigational hazard.  In general, on large water bodies, you are allowed  6' x 40' dimensions for a seasonal dock with shoreline frontage over 75' and 6' x 30' dimensions for a permanent dock with shoreline frontage over 75'. 

Once retained, NHEC's services usually commence and conclude within 2 weeks*.  Once the application is received by NH DES, they have a statuatory time frame to review and respond to your application.  The time frame is dependent on the type of permit application filed:

Permit by Notification (PBN): 10 or 20 days, depending on the local conservation commission's signature being obtained

Minimum Expedited Permit: 30 days or less

Shoreland Permit:  30 days or less

Standard Dredge or Fill Permit: 75 or 105 days, depending on area of impact

Shoreland Waiver/Variance Requests:  75 days or less

*On larger projects such as new residential construction, and shoreland waiver/variance requests, the time frame for turn around from our office is largely dependent on the cooperation of the various contractors working on your lot.  NHEC prides itself in facilitating these conversations for our clients, to make the permitting process as painless as possible

DES rules govern the cutting of trees along the shore.  Tree cutting is based on a grid-and-points system, where each 25' x 50' grid along the shore must retain 25 "points."  Points are based on tree diameter at breast height:  1 point for each tree 1"-3" in diameter; 5 points for each tree 3"-6" in diameter; 10 points for each tree 6"-12" in diameter; and 15 points for each tree over 12" in diameter.  As long as you retain a minimum of 25 points in each grid, you can cut the remaining trees, provided you leave the stump.  The burden of proof for tree points remains on the home owner, and NHEC can assist you in your selective cutting plan and viewscape management.  NHEC can supply a tree plan for those municipalities which require tree plans to be submitted prior to development activities, or for home owners and/or contractors who want an accurate record of their vegetation for insurance against NH DES compliance actions.  Please note that some communities (such as Moultonborough) have more stringent requirements for tree points than the state standards.

Yes! 

You may have 2 docking slips (each side of one dock is considered a slip) for the first 75' of frontage, and one additional slip per each additional 75' of frontage.  For example, a property with 150' of frontage is allowed 3 dock slips - a typical "U" shaped dock design would accomplish this.

Sandy, walk-in beaches are no longer allowed per NH DES rules.  New beaches must be "perched," which means the sand must be completely surrounded by a retaining wall.  Perched beaches retain sand much better than traditional beaches and are less subject to erosion and loss of sand.  NHEC maintains relationships with several landscaping companies that specialize in the construction of perched beaches using all natural field stone materials. 

Yes, but a NH DES Wetlands permit is required.