New Hampshire Supreme Court Reaffirms State's Right to Protect Wetlands from Development

The New Hampshire Supreme Court, in two recent decisions, has reaffirmed its resolve to protect the state’s estimated 6,000 acres of tidal and nontidal wetlands from indiscriminate destruction by contractors and developers. In both cases, New Hampshire’s highest court held that the state Wetlands Board’s denial of landowners fill petitions does not constitute a taking of private property without compensation in violation of the U.S. and New Hampshire state constitutions.