Buckley Bryan, Jr. (left) receives the Charles H. Tuttle Citation for conservation excellence, the Lake George Association’s highest honor, from LGA Executive Director Walt Lender and Julie Tuttle Currie. Given for the first time in 13 years, the award was presented to honor Buck’s many years of exemplary service, strong leadership, stalwart support, loyalty, generosity, and devotion to the protection of Lake George and the LGA, said Walter Lender, LGA executive director.
The Charles H. Tuttle Citation for conservation excellence was presented for the first time in 13 years to J. Buckley Bryan Jr., the outgoing board president of the Lake George Association, at its 125th Annual Meeting on August 20. The Tuttle Citation is the LGA’s highest honor.
“The award was given for Buck’s many years of exemplary service, strong leadership, stalwart support, loyalty, generosity, and devotion to the protection of Lake George and the LGA,” said Walter Lender, LGA executive director.
Buck Bryan became president of the Lake George Association for the first time in 1975 and served until 1980. While president during that period, Buck helped the LGA to:
– prevent the federal government from assuming control of the lake;
– stop the dumping of boat holding tanks into Lake George waters;
– hire the LGA’s first full-time staff; and
– increase membership in one year by over 800 members.
Thirty years later, after retiring from his career as an airline pilot and returning to the Lake full-time, Buck once again joined the LGA board. In his most recent tenure as president, Buck helped:
– upgrade the navigational markers on the lake;
– update and reprint the navigational charts, working with the LG Power Squadron;
– launch the largest Capital Campaign to preserve the Lake – the West Brook Conservation Initiative (WBCI);
– kick off the WBCI campaign with a lead gift of $50,000, which he has since matched; and
– launch the LGA’s Helen V. Froehlich Legacy Society. Buck announced his intentions to bequeath $1,000,000 of his estate to the LGA.
Buck has lead by example in other ways. On his lakefront property, Buck has installed stormwater management devices and a native vegetated buffer. He cleans out his sediment catchments with the LGA Catch Vac.
At the meeting, Tuttle’s descendents helped present a framed plaque to Buck, which incorporated a Loren Blackburn print of Glen Island looking north. Charles H. Tuttle was president of the LGA from 1927 to 1930 and remained its life-long counsel until his death in 1971. The award in his honor was established in 1970. During Tuttle’s tenure as president much of the important legislation concerning Lake George and its protection was passed. Most of this legislation was drafted and advocated for by Tuttle himself. Tuttle was twice appointed to the Lake George Park Commission and has lived on the Lake most of his life.