North Country Council

North Country Council
Name	North Country Council
Formation	1967
Type	Regional Planning Commission
Headquarters	3 Winter Street, Lancaster, New Hampshire
Region served	Coös County, New Hampshire

North Country Council is a regional planning commission serving Coös County, New Hampshire, coordinating municipal, transportation, economic, and environmental initiatives among rural communities. It provides technical assistance, grant administration, and comprehensive planning support to towns, counties, and state agencies, working with federal partners and nonprofit organizations. The Council collaborates with academic institutions, tribal entities, and interstate bodies to address development, infrastructure, and conservation challenges across a largely forested and mountainous region.

History

The Council was formed in the late 1960s in the context of federal initiatives such as the Economic Development Administration and the Interstate Highway System, responding to rural planning needs exemplified by programs like the Great Society and legislation such as the Office of Economic Opportunity. Early efforts aligned with state programs administered by the New Hampshire Department of Transportation and the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development. Over decades the Council worked alongside entities including the U.S. Department of Transportation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and regional partners such as the Northern Forest Center and the Quabbin to Cardigan Partnership. Historic collaborations reached into projects associated with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the White Mountain National Forest, the Boston Metropolitan Area Planning Council, and interstate programs connected to the Vermont Agency of Transportation and the Maine Department of Transportation.

Organization and Governance

The Council is governed by a board comprised of municipal delegates, county officials, and representatives from organizations like the New Hampshire Municipal Association, the Coös County Commissioners, and the New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority. Executive functions are carried out by a director and professional staff who coordinate with staff from the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. Advisory committees include stakeholders from the U.S. Forest Service, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, and higher education partners such as the University of New Hampshire, Dartmouth College, and the Cooperative Extension network. The Council’s bylaws and planning documents interface with state statutes including provisions of the New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated.

Regional Planning and Services

The Council produces regional plans, hazard mitigation strategies, and comprehensive plan support used by towns and agencies like the New Hampshire Homeland Security and Emergency Management and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Technical assistance covers land use mapping with inputs from the U.S. Geological Survey, demographic analysis influenced by the U.S. Census Bureau, and housing studies in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Council’s planning work intersects with conservation efforts tied to the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, recreational planning with the New Hampshire Parks and Recreation, and broadband initiatives coordinated with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

Transportation and Infrastructure

Transportation planning integrates regional transit studies, bicycle and pedestrian planning, and road safety programs in partnership with the New Hampshire Department of Transportation and regional transit operators like the North Country Council Regional Transit. Projects have drawn funding from the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program, the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program, and the National Highway System. Infrastructure work has included coordination with utilities such as Eversource Energy, rail stakeholders including Pan Am Railways and St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad, and airport planning involving the Lancaster Municipal Airport and regional aviation authorities. Emergency response and winter maintenance planning reference standards from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

Economic Development and Grants

Economic development initiatives leverage programs administered by the Economic Development Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development, and the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority. The Council assists municipalities in applying for grants from philanthropic funders such as the Ford Foundation, the Tudor Foundation, and regional grantmakers including the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. Business support aligns with the New Hampshire Small Business Development Center, workforce partnerships with the New Hampshire Department of Employment Security, and tourism cooperation with VisitNH. Collaborative projects have involved the Northern Border Regional Commission and cross-border economic planning with Québec agencies and Canadian commissions.

Environmental and Land Use Programs

Land use planning and environmental programs are developed in coordination with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and conservation organizations such as The Nature Conservancy and the Audubon Society of New Hampshire. The Council contributes to watershed management linked to the Connecticut River Conservancy, water quality monitoring with the Environmental Protection Agency, and forest stewardship efforts tied to the New Hampshire Timberland Owners Association and the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests. Climate adaptation planning references frameworks from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and state initiatives like the New Hampshire Climate Action Plan.

Membership and Participating Municipalities

Membership includes towns and cities across Coös County, county government, and institutional members including the Coös County Nursing Hospital, regional school districts such as the Coös County School Districts, and nonprofit partners like the North Country Health Consortium. Participating municipalities range from Lancaster, New Hampshire to Colebrook, New Hampshire, Berlin, New Hampshire, Pittsburg, New Hampshire, Dummer, New Hampshire, Clarksville, New Hampshire, Gorham, New Hampshire, Shelburne, New Hampshire, and neighboring townships. The Council liaises with county-level and interstate entities including the Coös County Economic Development Corporation, neighboring planning agencies, and tribal governments recognized by the New Hampshire Indian Tribal Committee.

Category:Regional planning commissions in New Hampshire