The N.H. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources is now accepting letters of intent for its three 2018 Conservation License Plate Grant Programs. DNCR “Moose Plate” grants support the restoration, preservation and / or conservation of publicly owned items significant to New Hampshire’s cultural heritage.

Letters of intent are due April 27 and must provide both a brief description of the project – 250 words or fewer – and acknowledge that the resource seeking funding is publicly owned. Organizations whose letters are approved will be invited to submit a full application by June 15.

Each year, the DNCR receives a percentage of funds raised from the sales of Moose Plates. The Department designates some of this funding for conservation of cultural resources in New Hampshire as a way of helping preserve the state’s cultural heritage.

Three of the DNCR’s divisions support grant programs through Moose Plate funding: the State Library, the State Council on the Arts and the Division of Historical Resources. Each division’s grant program has specific requirements and applicants may only apply to one grant program in a given year.

Among the 20 projects receiving DNCR grant funding in 2017 were the rehabilitation of the Roller Shed in Freedom, the restoration of the Lebanon Opera House’s historic lighting fixtures and the conservation of Strafford County’s farm and prisoner records from the first half of the twentieth century.

More information about each division’s specific grant program is available at nh.gov/nhculture/grants.htm.

Funds received by the DNCR also support its Division of Forests and Lands’ Natural Heritage Bureau and its Division of Parks and Recreation’s Historic Sites Bureau.

New Hampshire’s Conservation License Plates help conserve our state’s natural, historical and cultural heritage. Since 2001, the Moose Plate program has raised more than 20 million dollars that have directly contributed to the ongoing success of projects around New Hampshire. All funds raised through the purchase of Moose Plates are used for the promotion, protection and investment in New Hampshire’s natural, cultural and historic resources.

For more information about the Moose Plate Program, including how to purchase a Moose Plate, visit mooseplate.com.

New Hampshire’s Department of Natural and Cultural Resources’ six divisions are dedicated to protecting, promoting and managing a wide variety of New Hampshire’s natural, recreational and cultural resources. Together, these resources help define our state and are major drivers of our economy and high quality of life. For more information, visit dncr.nh.gov.