Conservation Commission

The Conservation Commission is comprised of seven members and two alternates. It is charged by statute with the protection and proper utilization of the natural resources of the City. The Commission meets on the second Wednesday of each month to consider and make recommendations to the New Hampshire Wetlands Bureau and/or the Planning Board on matters affecting natural resources.  For wetland protection and other environmental regulations please see Article 10 in the Zoning Ordinance.

Recent Work

The Portsmouth Conservation Commission and Portsmouth City Council have voted to expend up to $1,000,000 from the City's Conservation Fund to help the Southeast Land Trust (SELT) acquire a conservation easement over 94 acres of forest, wetlands, prime wetlands and potential vernal pools. This property has also been identified as an area with a highly-ranked wildlife corridor and consist of parts of the Berry's Brook watershed, identified as an area needing conservation for water quality protection and habitat connectivity in the 2020 Open Space Plan.

For more information on the project, please visit the SELT project page.