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| North Country Council (New Hampshire) | |
|---|---|
| Name | North Country Council |
| Formation | 1962 |
| Type | Regional planning commission |
| Headquarters | Colebrook, New Hampshire |
| Region served | Coös County, New Hampshire |
| Leader title | Executive Director |
North Country Council (New Hampshire) is a regional planning commission serving northern New Hampshire and communities in Coös County, New Hampshire. It provides planning, technical assistance, and grant administration to municipalities, tribal entities, and state agencies, coordinating with federal partners and nonprofit organizations. The Council works across sectors including land use, transportation, economic development, and natural resource management.
The Council was established in 1962 amid broader regional planning movements that included entities such as the Economic Development Administration (United States), the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and state-level planning offices. Early initiatives connected the Council with programs administered by the United States Department of Transportation and collaborated with neighboring organizations like the Northern Vermont Development Association and the Maine Development Foundation. Over decades, the Council engaged with federal legislation such as the Interstate Highway System projects and conservation efforts influenced by the National Park Service and the United States Forest Service. It partnered with institutions including Dartmouth College, the University of New Hampshire, and regional chambers of commerce during watershed planning and community revitalization initiatives.
The Council operates as a statutory regional commission under New Hampshire state statutes and maintains relationships with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, the New Hampshire Office of Strategic Initiatives, and county officials in Coös County, New Hampshire. Its board of commissioners includes representatives from municipal governments such as the Town of Lancaster, New Hampshire, the City of Berlin, New Hampshire, and the Town of Colebrook, New Hampshire, as well as appointees from tribal entities and nonprofit partners like the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests. The executive director coordinates staff functions and liaises with federal agencies including the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Environmental Protection Agency. The Council’s bylaws reflect governance practices similar to those of the Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission and the Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission.
The Council provides technical assistance in areas such as hazard mitigation planning aligned with Federal Emergency Management Agency standards, comprehensive plan updates paralleling guidance from the American Planning Association, and brownfield redevelopment strategies akin to projects supported by the Environmental Protection Agency. It administers grant writing and management for programs like the Community Development Block Grant program, coordinates housing studies similar to those conducted by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, and delivers GIS services using tools compatible with United States Geological Survey datasets. The Council also offers training and outreach in coordination with organizations such as the New Hampshire Municipal Association and the American Institute of Certified Planners.
Regional planning efforts encompass land use, natural resource protection, and community resiliency, integrating data from the United States Census Bureau and environmental analyses informed by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Projects have included watershed management in collaboration with the Connecticut River Conservancy and recreational planning connected to the White Mountain National Forest and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. The Council has supported municipal zoning updates referencing precedents from the Town of Franconia, New Hampshire and comprehensive plans modeled after examples from the City of Concord, New Hampshire.
Economic development activities include administration of grant funds, workforce development coordination with the New Hampshire Employment Security agency, and partnership with regional economic entities such as the North Country Chamber of Commerce and the Northern Forest Center. The Council has helped secure funding through federal sources like the Economic Development Administration (United States) and state grant programs administered by the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority. It has collaborated on tourism and outdoor recreation initiatives linked to entities including New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development and nonprofit partners like the Trust for Public Land.
Transportation planning aligns with the Federal Highway Administration and the New Hampshire Department of Transportation’s regional priorities, encompassing rural transit coordination with providers analogous to Tri-State Transit Authority models and paratransit services patterned after programs administered by the Greater Portland Transit District. Infrastructure assessments have referenced standards from the American Society of Civil Engineers and integrated funding strategies tied to the U.S. Department of Transportation discretionary grant programs. The Council has engaged in corridor planning affecting routes such as U.S. Route 3 in New Hampshire and advocated for multimodal solutions seen in regional efforts like those of the Seacoast MPO.
Membership comprises municipalities across Coös County, New Hampshire and partner communities including Berlin, New Hampshire, Colebrook, New Hampshire, Lancaster, New Hampshire, Nashua, New Hampshire (as a state urban partner example), and smaller towns such as Pittsburg, New Hampshire and Stark, New Hampshire. The Council partners with state agencies like the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, federal agencies including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, academic institutions such as the University of New Hampshire, and nonprofit organizations like the Appalachian Mountain Club and the Northern Forest Center to deliver regional services.
Category:Organizations based in New Hampshire Category:Regional planning commissions in the United States