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Two LGLC Staff Receive Montesi Conservation Award


Sarah Hoffman (left) and Alex Novick were honored Monday, December 13 with the Ronald Montesi Citizen Conservation Award, from the Warren County Soil and Water Conservation District. (Click image to see larger view.)

The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) is proud to have two staff members as recipients of this year’s Ronald Montesi Citizen Conservation Award, presented by the Warren County Soil and Water Conservation District.

LGLC Communications and Outreach Manager Sarah Hoffman, and Land Steward Alex Novick received the award on Monday, December 13 at the WCSWCD office in Warrensburg.

Presenting the award to Hoffman, WCSWCD Senior District Technician Dean Moore said, “Sarah’s relentless passion has her constantly pairing funding opportunities with partner agencies and project locations to benefit the communities we live in. Her work fosters the generosity and passion of an individual who truly loves our great region and seeks out opportunities to preserve the quality of these resources for future generations.”

Presenting the award to Novick, WCSWCD District Manager Jim Lieberum said, “The work that Alex does at the West Brook Conservation Initiative and other LGLC properties is something that should be recognized. It is obvious that he enjoys what he does and he has a wealth of knowledge that exceeds just more than just the environment. He is well deserving of this recognition and we look forward to many future collaborative projects.”

Named after long-time WCSWCD Board Member Ronald Montesi who passed away in 2019, the Award “is provided to individuals who have taken the initiative to improve their environment and developed partnerships in their community. The District is committed to recognizing those people who we have worked with to provide new conservation opportunities and enhance existing programs.

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Governor Hochul Announces Action to Address Winter Covid-19 Surge

Governor Kathy Hochul today this past week that masks will be required to be worn in all indoor public places unless businesses or venues implement a vaccine requirement. This a major action to address the winter surge comes as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations rise statewide to be in alignment with the CDC’s recommendations for communities with substantial and high transmission. The State Health Commissioner issued a determination solidifying the requirement.

This determination is based on the State’s weekly seven-day case rate as well as increasing hospitalizations. The new business and venue requirements extend to both patrons and staff. This measure is effective Dec. 13, 2021 until Jan. 15, 2022, after which the State will re-evaluate based on current conditions. The new measure brings added layers of mitigation during the holidays when more time is spent indoors shopping, gathering, and visiting holiday-themed destinations.

“As Governor, my two top priorities are to protect the health of New Yorkers and to protect the health of our economy. The temporary measures I am taking today will help accomplish this through the holiday season. We shouldn’t have reached the point where we are confronted with a winter surge, especially with the vaccine at our disposal, and I share many New Yorkers’ frustration that we are not past this pandemic yet,” Governor Hochul said. “I want to thank the more than 80 percent of New Yorkers who have done the right thing to get fully vaccinated. If others will follow suit, these measures will no longer be necessary.”

“I have warned for weeks that additional steps could be necessary, and now we are at that point based upon three metrics: Increasing cases, reduced hospital capacity, and insufficient vaccination rates in certain areas,” Governor Hochul added.

Since Thanksgiving, the statewide seven-day average case rate has increased by 43% and hospitalizations have increased by 29%. While the percentage of New Yorkers fully vaccinated continues to increase—gaining 2% from Thanksgiving weekend to now—the uptick is not fast enough to completely curb the spread of the virus, particularly among communities with low vaccination coverage.

The State Department of Health has produced nation-leading studies, published in the CDC’s MMWR and the New England Journal of Medicine, which demonstrate the COVID-19 vaccines’ effectiveness – particularly in preventing severe disease. The Department continues to urge eligible New Yorkers of all ages to get fully vaccinated and boosted as soon as possible.

Acting Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett said, “Community spread requires a community-minded solution, as the Omicron variant emerges and the overwhelmingly dominant Delta variant continues to circulate. We have the tools we need to protect against the virus – and now we must ensure we use them. There are tools each individual can use, and there are actions we can take as government. Getting vaccinated protects you, and wearing a mask is how we will better protect each other. Both vaccination and mask-wearing are needed to slow this COVID-19 winter surge.”

A violation of any provision of this measure is subject to all civil and criminal penalties, including a maximum fine of $1,000 for each violation. Local health departments are being asked to enforce these requirements.

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Aquatic Invasive Species Law Signed into Law

Legislation to prevent the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species throughout New York State, with a special emphasis on the Adirondack Park, was signed into law today by Governor Kathy Hochul. Senator Dan Stec, the ranking Republican on the Senate Environmental Committee, cosponsored the legislation which replaces a law that expired at the end of May.

“It took a little longer than hoped, but the new law has been updated, made permanent and takes effect immediately,” said Stec. “This is great news especially for the park and the ecology important to us all. It’s much less costly and much more effective to prevent introduction rather than mitigate the spread of invasive species in our lakes, rivers and streams. Our region has been a leader on this issue. I want to thank the committee chair, Senator Todd Kaminsky, for his work on the legislation and Governor Hochul for final approval.”

New York’s “clean, drain and dry” law was adopted in 2014 to require that boats are inspected for aquatic invasive species, such as zebra mussels and eurasian watermilfoil, before being launched in a waterbody. The law was reauthorized as part of the state budget in 2020 but expired at the end of May this year.

The updated law removes the sunset provision of the original law. Additionally, it authorizes the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to set up boat inspection stations throughout the Adirondack Park and within a ten-mile radius of the park’s boundary.

A tamperproof tag may be issued by the DEC to the boat operator certifying inspection. DEC will maintain on its website a list of all the boat washing inspection stations, including operating hours. Boaters may also self-certify following a DEC process to clean, drain and dry their watercraft.

“For any law to be effective, awareness is key,” said Stec. “That’s an ongoing process. An important part of this new law is the educational and public outreach efforts by DEC. Data collection will also help inform adjustments to make this work better in the years ahead.”

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Huletts Holiday Party Canceled

Invitations to the annual December dinner sponsored by the Huletts Landing Volunteer Fire Department were included in the annual letter from the fire house. However, it was decided that, based on the health department’s guidelines and the rise in Covid cases in Washington County, it was the right decision to cancel the party this year.

Looking forward to next year!

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Happy Thanksgiving 2021

“No duty is more important than that of returning thanks.”
St. Ambrose

May all the good things in life be yours, not only at Thanksgiving but also throughout the coming year.

I hope that you will use the coming days to celebrate with family and friends and enjoy the good things of life.

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DEC Statewide Forest Ranger Highlights

Town of Lake George
Warren County
Wilderness Rescue: On Oct. 15 at 10:50 a.m., Warren County 911 transferred a call to DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch from a 29-year-old runner from Brooklyn lost on an old forest road on the side of Prospect Mountain. Coordinates placed the runner close to the road, but without a map or compass to navigate the area, Forest Ranger Donegan responded to assist. At 11:58 a.m., Ranger Donegan located the runner at the coordinates provided by 911 and both were back out to Memorial Highway and clear of the scene at 12:20 p.m.

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LGLC Protects 150 Acres in Bolton, Indian Brook Tributary


The Lake George Land Conservancy recently protected 150 acres in Bolton that includes a mile of steam that flows into Indian Brook, a major Lake George tributary.

The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) has protected 150 acres of Bolton uplands through the use of a conservation easement, a tool used by land trusts that keep land in private ownership while protecting the land’s conservation values. The property includes one mile of stream corridor and 10 acres of wetland within the Indian Brook tributary of Lake George.

The property is owned by the DePace family, who sold the easement to the LGLC out of a desire to ensure its protection for future generations. Originally, the 150-acre tract was split into 23 residential lots, and allowed for 23 homes to be built. The DePace family and the LGLC worked to extinguish those 23 lots into just three lots. By doing so, important natural resources and the rural character of this region of Bolton are protected forever.

Landowners Tony and Gail DePace said, “Knowing that large parcels of Bolton Landing will be protected and environmentally healthy for many years to come is what prompted us to work together with the LGLC. Protecting the lands means protecting Lake George. The LGLC took every step to ensure that our personal needs and Bolton Landing’s environmental needs were met. The LGLC team worked extremely hard to put everything in place, no easy task after three years of getting every detail in order. We are fortunate to have the LGLC working diligently to protect Lake George and the lands surrounding it. Their mission is truly to protect the beauty we are fortunate to call home.”

Studies indicate that although Indian Brook is showing some impacts from development and other human activity, its 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, however, leaving water quality vulnerable.

To address this issue, in 2017 the LGLC established its Indian Brook/Northwest Bay Conservation Initiative to work with willing landowners within the project area to acquire land and conservation easements that are vital to protecting water quality and important habitat, creating recreational opportunities, and keeping viewsheds intact.

LGLC Interim Executive Director Jeff Brozyna said, “This project perfectly demonstrates how the LGLC can protect land while also allowing it to remain in private hands. Conservation easements are a great way to protect sensitive lands while ensuring that landowners can continue to use and develop their land in sustainable ways. This project has so many obvious conservation values and it is wonderful to see the land protected—forever—after working on this project for a number of years. We are so grateful to the DePace family for their patience and their conservation ethic.”