HB1751

As a Rye resident, and lifelong resident of the NH seacoast, I support this bill . I spent my childhood on these beaches, and still frequent them every week, year around. By adding a surcharge to State Parking fees that would be channeled to the local community, this provides much needed financial support to the towns that support these beautiful State Parks, and allow them to invest in these areas to improve the experience for everyone.

This will help support the surrounding communities that host state parks. This will also help to discourage towns from implementing parking fees at historically free parking locations (Rye route 1). This benefits all parties.

I am in support of HB 1751. I believe a small surcharge passed on to the towns where the facilities are located will help with ensuring beaches remain safe and clean. I ask that the towns make every effort to utilize the funds in the proper manner for which the funds were set up. I would like to see a mechanism in place where towns must use the funds for the intended purpose. Maybe an audit by the state. That said I do support this proposed House Bill. Thank You Chris Grippo

I support this bill because it will help out the towns that have state parks and beaches. It is very important to help the towns out with beaches so they do not start charging for parking on their own. Keeping beach parking free and accessible is great for everyone. Just because a certain town has a coastline does not mean they can control it for all NH residents.

I am a frequent visitor to our state beaches, and I think that this bill would be a good way to maintain affordable access to the beaches without beach towns charging for parking or closing public parking on Route 1A.

We are fighting hard as a Rye resident to keep Free Beach Access on the States primary coastal highway route 1A. Live free or die is not just a space on our license plate. Live free or die is not just to fill space on your license plate. We adopted the state motto in 1945 to remind ourselves to fight a life without liberty. Liberty is the condition of being free to think, act, move, and live without unnecessary or unjust control or restraint, while respecting the equal rights of others. Paid beach parking is NOT equal rights to play freely on public trust lands and our beaches. It puts access to those with money and/or changes everyone’s use of the beach forever. This exponentially hurts all our youth looking to escape computer and cellphones and play outside.. Every generation before us had equal rights to Rye Beaches. These funds would substantially help safety and most importantly these funds could keep 43% of NH coastline with free access. Thank you so much for your time. Live Free or Die

My name is Luke Gould. I am currently a Rye resident but grew up in Exeter, NH. Both my parents grew up in Rye and as a result we frequented the State Park at Jenness Beach as non-residents. As I believe is true for many of the people who will comment on this bill, we live on the seacoast because we value ready access to our beaches. If we do not properly budget for the maintenance of our State Parks, there will be fewer people in our community able to enjoy them. In recent weeks there has been significant discussion about the implementation of paid parking along Route 1A by the Town of Rye. The claimed goal of the select board was to generate revenue for the town of Rye to cover the maintenance and safeguard expenses required for the beach. All of the current safety & maintenance budget needs are not only covered, but there is an excess earning of $180,000 via parking permits & parking tickets. If the Town of Rye were to implement paid parking along Route 1A, there would be a decline in local daily usage, and due to the roadway’s status as a state highway there is no guarantee that the town would earn anything from the metered parking. As the town continues to grow it is important that we can support the developing community and maintain the quality/ safety of our beaches. By including the 5% surcharge on state lot parking, we can insure that towns are able to receive guaranteed compensation for hosting a state park, so that they can continue to operate without causing stress on the town’s budget.

I offer my support for this Bill, HB1751, as introduced by Representative Bridle. As a resident of Hampton, I would like to remind everyone that we had a pair of events last summer, with two shootings at Hampton Beach, that required a significant response from our local, regional, county and state first responders. I believe that footing the bill primarily by Hampton tax payers was an unjust burden which should be spread to other visitors of the area. Representative Bridle has found a creative method of increasing the funding for these necessary resources and I hope that the legislature will pass this Bill.

Written Testimony in Support of HB 1751-FN as the Prime Sponsor (For the Public Record) New Hampshire’s state parks are among our most valued public assets. They draw residents and visitors alike to our coastline, mountains, lakes, forests, and historic sites. With that visitation comes a shared responsibility: keeping people safe. HB 1751 establishes a modest 5 percent public safety surcharge on paid parking at state park facilities and returns those funds directly to the municipalities that host those parks. The revenue is dedicated solely to public safety services connected to park use, including police, fire, and emergency medical response. Across New Hampshire, local communities shoulder the real-world impacts of park visitation. In the Seacoast, that may mean coastal rescues and high-volume summer response. In the Lakes Region, it includes marine patrols and ice rescues. In the North Country and White Mountains, it can mean search and rescue operations, wildfire response, and emergency care in remote terrain. These services require specialized training, equipment, and staffing, often during peak tourism seasons when demand is highest. HB 1751 helps align responsibility with impact. Visitors benefit from safe, well-managed parks, and this bill ensures that the communities providing those public safety services receive dedicated support. Importantly, this surcharge is in addition to existing parking rates and does not reduce funding for the New Hampshire State Park system. The goal is not to take resources away from parks, but to strengthen the partnership between the state and the municipalities that support them. The bill is intentionally narrow and transparent. It uses existing parking infrastructure, creates no new criminal penalties, and requires public reporting on revenue and distribution. Funds are distributed quarterly and proportionally, and may be used only for public safety purposes attributable to park visitation. HB 1751 is not about one town, one region, or one type of incident. It is about ensuring that New Hampshire’s entire park system remains safe, accessible, and sustainable—today and into the future—while providing meaningful tax relief to host communities. I respectfully ask for thoughtful consideration and support of HB 1751. Thank you for your time and engagement.