A view from the Wing Pond property.
The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) has been awarded a $20,000 matching grant from the Cloudsplitter Foundation to be used to leverage new donations for land protection efforts within its Indian Brook/Northwest Bay Brook Conservation Initiative.
Specifically, the Cloudsplitter grant award will be put towards the acquisition costs of the 159-acre Wing Pond property, purchased by the LGLC in December of 2016. This property, which is within the scope of the Conservation Initiative, includes 15 acres of sensitive wetlands, 750 feet of stream corridor, important habitat for birds and wildlife (including critical rattlesnake breeding habitat), and four-season recreational opportunities for nearby communities and the public.
The Conservation Initiative focuses on a 7,500-acre complex of wetlands, streams and undisturbed forests that are within the subwatersheds of two of the Lake George’s largest tributaries—Indian Brook and Northwest Bay Brook. Sensitive lands within this area are critical to filtering millions of gallons of water before it enters the lake each year, but only if left in their natural, healthy state.
For example, studies indicate that although Indian Brook is showing some impacts from development and other human activity, the watershed is still below the threshold of containing less than 10% of impervious surface, which is an indicator of overall health. Much of the watershed’s sensitive land is currently unprotected, leaving water quality vulnerable.
To date, the LGLC and partners have protected 2,384 acres and 4,150 feet of shoreline within this area, an investment of more than $2 million. All of these properties contribute to the community’s overall health by providing protection of wetlands and stream corridors, as well as allow for public recreational opportunities. The LGLC has created and maintains more than 15 miles of recreational trails within this area.
This is the first grant the LGLC has received from the Cloudsplitter Foundation, which works primarily to improve the environment, both physical and cultural, in the Adirondacks and to make life easier, healthier, and more rewarding for the people who live there.
By funding the Wing Pond project, the Cloudsplitter Foundation is helping the LGLC to not only be able to further its conservation mission in this sensitive area but also to build on partnerships with landowners, communities and New York State. This project in particular represents over four decades of conservation work, and offers great conservation value, increased community and recreational value, and, as a match, leverage towards the greater Initiative.