Lake George Friends and Partners,
Attached, please find the Lake George Park Commission’s 2015 Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Program Final Report. This report concluded the two-year pilot mandatory trailered boat inspection program for Lake George, and details both how the program was administered and its outcomes. This program simply would not have been possible without the tremendous support of our many partners, both state and local, who have provided the funding necessary to make this program a reality. The Commission believes that this program has been a success in working to protect Lake George, and this effort has been broadly supported by both the users of the lake and the public in general. A recent Sienna Research Institute poll of recreational users of the lake noted that “96% of respondents rated this program as important or very important in protecting Lake George.” We owe a considerable debt to the dozens of organizations and passionate individuals who have helped shape this program into one that does not impact boater use of Lake George while still providing for strong protection. In fact, boater registrations on Lake George have actually increased over the two years of this pilot program. Thanks to our funding partners, there has been no cost to boaters on Lake George for either the inspection or a decontamination if required. We believe this is the best model achievable, and will work to maintain this key element to the program.
Looking to the future, the Commission is currently working to make this initiative a permanent program on Lake George. It will take continued support and diligence from all of our collective agencies and organizations to do so, but we believe that given what’s at stake, this support will continue for the long-term.
I invite you to take a look at this report to get a broader understanding of the outcomes of this aquatic invasive species prevention effort. Please feel free to share this with anyone who you think will be interested. We are always open to new ideas and thoughts for improvement, so please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Commission at any time with your thoughts and ideas.
Working collectively we also had a very aggressive year in addressing the Eurasian watermilfoil issue in Lake George, and you can find a comprehensive 2015 Milfoil Control Final Report on our website at www.lgpc.state.ny.us.
Wishing you the best in 2016,
Dave Wick
LGPC Executive Director