Autumn 2024

Autumn
By Alice Cary

Shorter and shorter now the twilight clips
The days, as though the sunset gates they crowd,
And Summer from her golden collar slips
And strays through stubble-fields, and moans aloud,

Save when by fits the warmer air deceives,
And, stealing hopeful to some sheltered bower,
She lies on pillows of the yellow leaves,
And tries the old tunes over for an hour.

The wind, whose tender whisper in the May
Set all the young blooms listening through th’ grove,
Sits rustling in the faded boughs to-day
And makes his cold and unsuccessful love.

The rose has taken off her tire of red—
The mullein-stalk its yellow stars have lost,
And the proud meadow-pink hangs down her head
Against earth’s chilly bosom, witched with frost.

The robin, that was busy all the June,
Before the sun had kissed the topmost bough,
Catching our hearts up in his golden tune,
Has given place to the brown cricket now.

The very cock crows lonesomely at morn—
Each flag and fern the shrinking stream divides—
Uneasy cattle low, and lambs forlorn
Creep to their strawy sheds with nettled sides.

Shut up the door: who loves me must not look
Upon the withered world, but haste to bring
His lighted candle, and his story-book,
And live with me the poetry of Spring.

DEC Forest Rangers in the News

Town of Ticonderoga
Essex County

Wilderness Search: On Aug. 26 at 10:10 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from two hikers unable to follow the trail down Cook Mountain. Forest Ranger Quinn attempted to talk the hikers back onto the trail, but they lost it again. At 11:20 p.m., Ranger Quinn located the 47-year-old and 11-year-old from Ticonderoga and helped them back to the trailhead. Resources were clear at 12:15 a.m.

Village of Fort Ann
Washington County

Wilderness Rescue: On Aug. 29 at 9:15 p.m., Forest Ranger Donegan responded to a call for a hiker with a lower leg injury approximately one mile up on Buck Mountain. When Ranger Donegan arrived, the 36-year-old from Hudson Falls was unable to walk. Ranger Donegan stabilized the hiker’s leg. Pilot Knob Fire Department drove the subject down on an ATV to a Queensbury ambulance.

Lake George Land Conservancy Protects 73 Acres in the South Basin


View from Truesdale Hill Uplands

The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) has permanently protected 73 acres of forested land in the Town of Lake George. These scenic uplands contain 1,545 feet of streams, including the headwaters of a tributary that enters into Lake George by residences and businesses that rely on the lake as a source of drinking water.

“We are thrilled to protect this forested ridgeline property that protects Lake George in so many ways,” said LGLC Executive Director Mike Horn, “benefitting water quality, natural habitat, and the scenic backdrop that we all enjoy so much.”

The property is located on Truesdale Hill Road, in the southwest region of the Lake George watershed. The lake’s south basin is facing particularly high development pressure. This region is also especially important for the lake’s water quality. Because these headwaters persist in Lake George for so long, they can have the greatest impact on the water quality of the entire lake.

The protection of these waters, and the land that surrounds them, is therefore a very important conservation priority for the health of the entire Lake George watershed. In acquiring this 73-acre property, the LGLC will provide permanent protection of its steep slopes, healthy forests, and vegetated stream buffers, all of which will further safeguard the water quality of Lake George. This land also provides important wildlife habitat and preserves the scenic beauty of an undeveloped ridgeline that is visible throughout the south basin.

The purchase of these 73 acres was funded in part by The Makowski Trust, and a $641,424 grant received from the Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) grant program administered by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. An additional $115,000 is needed to reach the total estimated purchase price and provide the required match for the grant.

Huletts Landing 8/7 ProcellaCor Info Session

Please come to a presentation at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, August 7th, at the Huletts Landing Property Owners’ Pavilion. Chris Navitsky, PE (Lake George Waterkeeper), and Brian Mattes (The Jefferson Project) will be presenting the information from the independent water tests (UConn) conducted after the ProcellaCor application. Regardless of your opinion, please stop by the presentation and informed discussion. Knowledge is power! Any questions please contact Patrice at triciect9@gmail.com.

Camping and Day-Use Sites in Narrow Island Group of Lake George Islands Closed Due to Storm Damage


Storm damage on the Narrow Island group of islands from the storm on the evening of July 16th.

Damage to island campsites.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced the temporary closure of many camping and day-use sites in the Narrow Island group of Lake George Islands. Due to storm damage in the area occurring on the evening of July 16, many campsites and day-use sites will be closed until further notice while cleanup of trees and repairs to infrastructure and docks takes place. Customers with affected reservations will be notified shorty.


Uprooted island trees.

Sheared off island trees.

Picture credit: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

Lake George Land Conservancy Closes on Wiawaka Conservation Easement


The Wiawaka Uplands Conservation Easement protects more than 1,500 feet of streams that flow into Lake George.

On July 10, the Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) permanently protected 42 acres of forested land in the Town of Lake George through the purchase of a conservation easement from the Wiawaka Center for Women (Wiawaka).

Under this conservation easement (CE), the land continues to be privately owned by Wiawaka, and the LGLC will ensure the land’s permanent protection and assist with its stewardship. Though currently open for recreation only to Wiawaka’s guests, the conservation easement allows for sustainable public recreation in the future.

The upland property contains over 1,500 feet of stream corridor and five acres of forested wetland within the southern basin of Lake George. Town zoning would have allowed for residential and commercial development on the site, which would be visible from the lake and surrounding lands. In its natural and undeveloped state, the land will continue to slowly filter and clean rainwater and runoff from upland storm events, before the water reaches the lake, as well as protect precious wildlife habitat and scenic views.

LGLC Executive Director Michael Horn said, “The Wiawaka Center for Women is a gem within our Lake George community, carrying forward an important mission and incredibly rich history. I want to thank Doreen Kelly and the Wiawaka Board of Directors for allowing us the opportunity to permanently protect their forested uplands.”

Wiawaka Executive Director Doreen Kelly said, “We are incredibly proud to be closing on the easement with the LGLC. It is a historical moment in our 121st year of operation that protects the watershed and the land around Wiawaka for generations to come.”

The purchase of the Wiawaka Uplands Conservation Easement was supported by a $350,000 grant from the 2022 Forest Conservation Easements for Land Trusts Program (FCELT), and New York’s Environmental Protection Fund. FCELT is administered by the Land Trust Alliance, in coordination with the State department of Environmental Conservation. The LGLC is one of just four land trusts to have been awarded an FCELT grant in its inaugural year, and is the first to close on an FCELT-supported project.

Wiawaka is a nonprofit organization and the longest continually operating women’s retreat center in the country. The center was founded in 1903 as a destination for women working in the factories of Troy, NY, to escape the city and enjoy an affordable vacation. Today, Wiawaka continues to offer affordable accommodations and weekly programming, retreats, and evening lectures from mid-June to early September.

DEC Forest Rangers in the News

Town of Dresden
Washington County

Wilderness Search: On June 27, at 6:07 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from two hikers at a trail junction near Black Mountain who were unsure of how to get back to their vehicle. At 9:18 p.m., Forest Ranger Kabrehl located the 65-year-old and 70-year-old from Long Island and escorted them back to their vehicle.

ProcellaCOR Update

This just in from the Warren County courthouse – the Judge has overturned the temporary restraining order. The aquatic herbicide ProcellaCOR can be put into the lake at this time.

DEC Forest Rangers in the News

Town of Fort Ann
Washington County

Wilderness Rescue: On June 4 at 2:05 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a subject with an unstable ankle injury in the Shelving Rock area. Forest Rangers Donegan, Geyer, and Hess, along with Fort Ann EMS, reached the 23-year-old from Saratoga Springs and splinted her ankle. Rescue crews packaged the subject into a litter and brought her to a waiting ambulance at 4 p.m.

LGPC Moves Forward with Test of Aquatic Herbicide ProcellaCOR


A well-attended rally in opposition to the application of ProcellaCOR in Lake George was held at 8:30 am on Tuesday, May 28, 2024 outside the office of the Lake George Association. The Lake George Association has opposed the use of ProcellaCOR in Lake George.


Later in the day on Tuesday, the Lake George Park Commission rejected the Lake George Associations’ offer to pay the full cost of hand-harvesting in the two areas where the state wants to apply ProcellaCOR this year. Both sites are in the northern Lake George basin. One site is off of Huletts Landing.

News Channel 13 of Albany covered the Lake George Park Commission hearing here.

LGLC’s Sucker Brook Preserve, in Putnam, Now Accessible by Boat


The new seasonal dock, now open to the public, at the Lake George Land Conservancy’s Sucker Brook Preserve.

A seasonal dock is now available on a first-come, first-served basis at the Lake George Land Conservancy’s Sucker Brook Preserve, in Putnam.

The Sucker Brook Preserve is made up of multiple protected properties, including those previously known as the Gull Bay Preserve (protected in 2003) and Last Great Shoreline Preserve (protected in 2009). In total, the Sucker Brook Preserve encompasses a total of 1,078 acres and more than 6 miles of trails. Now you can visit by boat.

Most trails at the Sucker Brook Preserve are considered moderate, with many relatively flat and easy stretches. There are also challenging, though short, sections, notably at the southern end of the Orange Trail, and the Red Trail-South. In addition, because these are active beaver ponds, water levels vary throughout the seasons and years, which may impact trail conditions.

You can download and/or print a copy of the LGLC’s Sucker Brook Preserve brochure here to reference when hiking.

Lake George Land Conservancy Awarded $4.15M for Water Quality Protection


This pond in the Town of Bolton will soon be permanently protected by the LGLC with support from the recently announced grants from NYS DEC.

The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) is pleased to announce that it has been awarded grants totaling $4.15 million for land acquisition for source water protection from the Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) grant program administered by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).

The LGLC will use $3.5 million of the grant funds to permanently protect over 700 acres in the Indian Brook sub-watershed region of the Town of Bolton. Maintaining forested buffers around the streams and wetlands of this area will prevent erosion, filter sediment and pollutants from stormwater, and aid with flood resiliency.

The remaining grant funds will be directed toward the purchase of a 73-acre forested property in the Town of Lake George. This property contains 1,545 feet of streams with a healthy vegetated buffer that will further safeguard the water quality of Lake George, a drinking water source, and the surrounding watershed.

LGLC Executive Director Michael Horn said, “We are grateful to New York State and Governor Hochul for supporting our work to protect Lake George by protecting the land around it. By keeping our forests healthy and whole, we’re allowing the land to do what it does best – filter water, reduce pollution, and prevent stormwater issues downstream.

“With these grants we will be able to advance a number of projects over the next few years, but there is still much work to be done, including raising the more than $1 million in required matching funds.”

Land conservation is an efficient, cost-effective tool for protecting water quality. By focusing efforts on the most sensitive wetlands, streams, slopes, and shoreline, it can prevent costly issues that may arise from poorly designed development, non-porous infrastructure, and severe weather events.

These grants are part of a $166 million total announcement by NYS DEC for 187 projects statewide that will help protect drinking water, update aging water infrastructure, combat contributors to harmful algal blooms, and improve aquatic habitat.