Bill > SB274

This bill establishes a 4-year pilot program to improve rail trails in New Hampshire by transferring ownership of four specific rail corridors (Presidential Pondicherry Section, Ammonoosuc Rail Trail, New Littleton-Bethlehem Segment, and Cheshire Rail Trail) from the Department of Transportation to the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. The bill creates two new funds: the Rail Trails Program Fund and the Emergency Trail Repair Fund, which will be administered by the Bureau of Trails. The pilot program aims to rehabilitate, maintain, and improve 83 miles of rail corridors, with funding coming from a mix of sources including private contributions, state general obligation bonds, and potential federal grants. The bill appropriates $250,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to the Rail Trails Program Fund, and a symbolic $1 to the Emergency Trail Repair Fund. The program will be developed in consultation with the New Hampshire Rail Trails Coalition and will focus on rehabilitating abandoned rail corridors and maintaining existing rail trails, with the goal of potentially expanding the initiative statewide after the 4-year pilot period.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://gc.nh.gov/bill_status/legacy/bs2016/bill_status.aspx?lsr=0905&sy=2025&sortoption=&txtsessionyear=2025&txtbillnumber=SB274