Map of Bridge the Nose Initiative (Click image to see larger view.)
The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) has acquired 65 acres in the Town of Putnam from Thomas and Christine Bain. The land contains important wetlands and includes a significant part of the Sucker Brook marsh, which drains directly into Lake George at Glenburnie.
The acquisition also protects a large area of rare northern white cedar swamp. This habitat type is threatened State-wide by development, habitat alteration, and recreational overuse, as well as invasive species, such as purple loosestrife and reedgrass.
“Sucker Brook and its marsh have been a part of my family for five generations,” said Thomas Bain. “Purchased by my Great Grandfather around 1945 it has been enjoyed by generations of the Bain Family down through my children. The serenity and quiet beauty of that location is treasured by myself and my extended family. I can recall hiking through the marsh in the middle of winter as a boy and being amazed by the stark contrast of the rich jet black mud bottom of Sucker Brook to the surrounding bright white snow.”
“Knowing that it is protected,” Bain continued, “and in turn offers a small portion of protection to Lake George into which it runs, gives me great satisfaction. My family and I enjoy our visits to Putnam and always stop and take in the grand views of Lake George from Gull Bay or Glen Bernie. Keeping the lake in a pristine condition is essential to maintaining that beauty. The Lake George Land Conservancy has allowed us to contribute to maintaining that legacy for many generations to come.”
Photo of Lake George, South from Record Hill/Anthony’s Nose © Carl Heilman, II (Click image to see larger view.)
“The Bains have been respectful caretakers of this land for generations and understand its important connection to protecting the lake,” said LGLC Executive Director Jamie Brown. “We are extremely grateful to them for their conservation ethic and for working with us on this important protection project. This really is a clear example of working with a landowner who understands how important the land is what we are talking about when we say protecting the land to protect the lake.”
The acquisition is part of the LGLC’s Bridge the Nose Initiative, which will allow the LGLC to complete its ten-year effort to conserve the 2,000-acre Sucker Brook complex in order to protect the water quality of Lake George, connect existing lands protected by the LGLC and New York State for recreation and wildlife, and conserve the region’s rare northern white cedar swamp ecosystem.
Sucker Brook is one of Lake George’s ten largest tributaries, which means that the water flowing through it may significantly impact the lake’s water quality. Its protection by the LGLC provides a safeguard against excess storm water, erosion of the stream corridor, and nutrient loading from neighboring sources of fertilizers and road salt, further protecting the lake’s water quality.
This most recent acquisition is adjacent to the LGLC’s Gull Bay and Last Great Shoreline Preserves, filling in a gap between the properties. The LGLC expects to extend the preserves’ trail systems to include a strategically placed boardwalk along or through the northern white cedar swamp with wildlife viewing platforms.