With about 1,000 employees, the department is responsible for managing more than 220,000 acres of public land, 870 buildings, and critical infrastructure such as dams, fire towers, roads, and snowmobile trails, according to Stewart’s 2024 budget presentation. In the presentation, she requested about $11 million in state funding toward an overall agency budget of $66 million, which includes federal funding and agency income.
In her letter to the governor, Stewart said she has modernized operations and “continued to deliver statewide value with one of the smallest General Fund allotments in New Hampshire state government.”
The department’s budget was cut by about 7 percent in fiscal year 2026 compared to the prior year, according to the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute. In the current budget, the department had to make back-of-the-budget cuts totaling $600,000 over a two-year period. Funding for its Division of the Arts was slashed from $1.4 million in 2025 down to $150,000 in 2026.
Stewart said there is an “increasing demand for services during a time of sustained fiscal constraint.”
The state parks made changes this year to accommodate an influx of leaf peepers this fall at a popular destination with sweeping views, after crowds led to issues with congestion and garbage last year.
At least two leadership positions in the department have been vacant for months — the state librarian and the state parks director.
Executive Councilor Janet Stevens, a Rye Republican, thanked Stewart for her service and praised her performance as “an exceptional steward of the Granite State’s most treasured assets.”
In addition to the state librarian and the state parks director, there are two other “critical” vacancies Ayotte is looking to fill. They include a Business and Economic Affairs commissioner and a public utilities commissioner.
Amanda Gokee can be reached at amanda.gokee@globe.com. Follow her @amanda_gokee.
