Press Release 1/05

The Lake Sunapee Protective Association has been notified that the Sunapee Area Watershed was
one of two watersheds selected by NH Department of Environmental Services for the 2005
Watershed Approach Pilot Program. This new NH DES program aims to support local initiatives
that control non-point source pollution through long term planning and the development of
watershed management plans.

In addition to financial assistance, grant recipients will have access to assistance from NH DES
technical staff, as well as the professional services of environmental consultants who have been
retained by NH DES specifically for this project. Funding for the Watershed Approach Pilot
Program has been appropriated through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Section
319 of the Clean Water Act.

The Lake Sunapee Protective Association is a nonprofit organization devoted for more than a
century to preserving the environmental quality of the Sunapee watershed. LSPA’s programs in
education, water quality and watershed stewardship are all in support of that goal. In 2004, the
LSPA started the watershed planning process by holding meetings with local boards and
stakeholders in the six watershed towns (Goshen, Newbury, New London, Springfield, Sunapee,
and Sutton) to gather thoughts and input. To date, all six towns have named representatives to a
Sunapee Area Watershed Coalition, as have other lake associations, realtors, businesses, non-
profits, Colby-Sawyer College and the Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission.