Reference Library

Site Specific Permit

• Alteration of Terrain Program
  Site preparation and land use changes, whether from timber harvesting, terrain alteration, borrow pit excavation, subdivision development, mining, or dredge and fill activities, commonly involve removal of vegetation, re-grading, and other ground surface disruptions. Such disruptions have the potential to create adverse impacts to surface water quality through soil erosion, siltation, sedimentation and overland pollutant transport. The DES Site Specific Permit is designed to ensure that proper erosion and sedimentation controls and measures for attenuation of peak storm water runoff and treatment of runoff from impervious surfaces are included in project plans and are implemented as designed. These preventive measures are required to prevent adverse effects such as storm water impacts to abutting landowners, the smothering of aquatic life in adjacent water bodies, and increases in the costs of treating surface water for human consumption. A Site Specific Permit is required by RSA 485-A:17 (“Water Pollution and Waste Disposal/Terrain Alteration”) when more than 100,000 square feet of contiguous land area is to be disturbed (50,000 square feet within the protected shoreland as defined by RSA 483-B, the Comprehensive Shoreland Land Protection Act.)  [From Chapter 3, Surface Water, of the DES publication "Guidebook for Environmental Permits in New Hampshire"]
  • Alteration of Terrain Program fact sheets
• For regulatory information, contact Ridge Mauck at DES (271-2303 or e-mail ridgely.mauck@des.nh.gov)