RSA 483-B:1 Purpose.

The general court finds that:
I. The shorelands of the state are among its most valuable and fragile natural resources and their protection is essential to maintain the integrity of public waters.
I-a. A natural woodland buffer, consisting of trees and other vegetation located in areas adjoining public waters, functions to intercept surface runoff, wastewater, subsurface flow, and deeper groundwater flows from upland sources and to remove or minimize the effects of nutrients, sediment, organic matter, pesticides, and other pollutants and to moderate the temperature of the near-shore waters.
I-b. Scientific evidence has confirmed that even small areas of impervious surface coverage can have deleterious impacts on water quality and the aesthetic beauty of our lakes a