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DEC Statewide Forest Ranger Highlights

Town of Dresden
Washington County

Wilderness Rescue: On Sept. 19 at 7:43 p.m., Washington County 911 transferred a call to DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch from a hiker advising she was stuck on the trail on Black Mountain and two of her hiking companions were further up the trail. Washington County 911 provided coordinates that placed several members of the hike group from Mechanicville at the Black Mountain Point on the shore of Lake George. Forest Rangers O’Connor and Donegan responded to Black Mountain Point via a boat from Green Island, while Forest Ranger St. Claire responded to the marina at Hulett’s Landing. At 10:04 p.m., Ranger O’Connor advised that the two hikers had made their way back to the main group and that all seven hikers were on the boat and being transported to the marina. Once at the marina, Ranger St. Claire drove members of the hiking party to the trailhead to retrieve their vehicles.

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Fire Destroys Popular Restaurant in Bolton Landing


A popular Bolton restaurant burned to the ground on Thursday, September 17th.

Many people from Huletts travel to Bolton Landing by boat to stop at local restaurants. One popular one, the Lakeside Lodge & Grille, located right in the heart of Bolton, burned early on Thursday morning, September 17th. Located next to the Bolton Chamber of Commerce on Lake Shore Drive and a short walk up through Rogers park, many people from Huletts are familiar with the Lakeside Lodge & Grille.

The above picture was taken Thursday morning with the fire department still on the scene. It was taken from across the street facing the restaurant and toward Lake George. The Chamber of Commerce and Rogers park would be on the right.

A report from Channel 13

13

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Preserve at Pilot Knob to Reopen September 12


Visitors relax at the gazebo on the Lake George Land Conservancy’s Schumann Preserve for Pilot Knob in Fort Ann. View of Lake George is west toward Bolton and north up Lake George.

The Lake George Land Conservancy’s beloved Schumann Preserve at Pilot Knob will reopen to the public on September 12th, five months after being closed due to concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic. Please note that guidelines for responsible recreation continue to be in effect, and the preserve will be monitored to make sure guests are complying and visiting safely. If visiting this or any of the LGLC’s preserves, please follow these basic rules so that they can continue to provide safe recreational opportunities:

Stay local;

Visit in small groups limited to immediate household members;

If you arrive at a preserve and crowds are forming, choose a different park, a different trail, or return another time/day to visit;

If parking lots are full, please do not park along roadsides or other designated areas. To protect your safety and that of others, please choose a different area to visit, or return another time or day when parking is available.

Practice social distancing by keeping at least six (6) feet of distance between yourself and others, while on a trail and in places where people tend to congregate, such as parking lots, trailheads, and scenic overlooks; and

Stay home if you are sick, or showing or feeling any COVID-19 symptoms, such as fever, coughing, and/or troubled breathing.

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LGA Success In Lake George: Usher Park Stormcrete Edition

What’s exciting about a concrete walkway? How about one that expertly captures stormwater and puts it in the ground, rather than allowing it to flow into the Lake?

This project at Usher Park is one of the many projects the LGA is doing this year to directly protect the Lake’s water quality.

Watch the amazing protection that it provides in the video below!

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Capital Investments Continue All Around


A new house being constructed along the shoreline of Lake George in Huletts Landing.

If you go for a walk or take a boat ride around Huletts, you will see numerous new houses and continued capital investments being made in Huletts Landing by many individuals. These include improvements to docks, renovations and additions to existing homes and landscaping improvements also. It has been a very busy year for contractors working in Huletts.

Economic development as always been seen as the primary strategy for improving social well-being. Those who have invested their resources and energy into improving the “Landing” should be commended. Because of this, Huletts is a dynamic place which attracts people from all over the country and world.


Another new house, as seen from the lake, being constructed in Huletts Landing.

Individuals who invest in the community, improve the quality of life for themselves, their families and everyone who lives here. The vibrant nature of Huletts is expressed by people who want to spend their time and invest their resources here. It also helps attract people who value the surroundings and hopefully will work to keep the community the special place it is.

This trend will most likely continue as a number of people have made me aware that they are in different stages of planing improvements or redesigns of their properties in Huletts. So stay alert on the morning walks and local boat rides, the year to come may be even busier!

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Isaias Hits Lake George


Winds blew from the north today as tropical storm Isaias visited Lake George.

As of 7:15 pm on the evening of Tuesday, August 4th, tropical storm Isaias is still buffeting Huletts. We have had lots of rain and some heavy wind but the power is still on.

Flash flood and wind advisories are still in effect until Wednesday morning. Stay inside and stay safe.

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Their Smiles Say it All

As regular readers of the Huletts Current know, I love posting “fish” pictures, even though I am not a fisherman. This picture really made me smile because the children’s joy really shines through.

I know many are experiencing real worry and suffering with the COVID-19 national pandemic, but choose to be optimistic. Live your best life, RIGHT NOW, seize the moment, enjoy the day.

Do not fueled by fear. Be strong right now; be happy right now; go out and enjoy the summer. Be safe but don’t sit in a socially distant box and complain about all things that are not right, or might not be right. Go out and talk to a neighbor, make a visitor feel welcome. Do something positive. Send me a (fish) picture.

I received an email yesterday from a family who spent a week in Huletts, and when they returned home their small son wouldn’t go to sleep because he wanted to go back to his “Lake George bed.”

Be thankful for the blessings of your time on Lake George this summer, carry an optimistic spirit. Be people of hope in these times.

So many thanks to the children in the picture above, with their smiles and their big fish – they have chosen to enjoy the blessings of summer and their time on Lake George. For that we should all be grateful.

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DEC Statewide Forest Ranger Highlights

Town of Fort Ann
Washington County

Wilderness Rescue: On July 26 at 6:10 p.m., Warren and Washington County 911 transferred a call to DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch reporting a separated and lost hiker on Buck Mountain in the Lake George Wild Forest Area. Forest Rangers Donegan and Poulton responded to the area of the hiker’s last known coordinates and at 8:36 p.m., the 25-year-old woman from Antwerp, New York, was located. At 9:56 p.m., Rangers and the lost hiker were back at the trailhead where she was reunited with the rest of her party.

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State Senate Approves Adirondack ‘Road Salt ’ Study


Senator Betty Little welcomes county and town highway superintendents in her Albany office on their annual “Local Roads Matter!” Advocacy Day. Little, who is retiring from the Senate at the end of the year, was presented a personalized work helmet in recognition of her years of support for increased funding for local roads and bridge projects.

The State Senate today gave final legislative approval of legislation to create a task force and pilot-program study with the goal of reducing the amount of road salt applied to state highways in the Adirondack Park each winter.

Senator Betty Little and Western New York Senator Tim Kennedy, who chairs the Senate Transportation Committee, sponsored the legislation, which passed the Assembly on Monday.

“When it comes to keeping our lakes, rivers and streams and water wells clean, the old adage of an ‘ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure’ certainly fits,” said Little.

“The good news, as we’ve seen in municipalities such as Lake George where there has been a tremendous focus on this issue, is that newer equipment and utilizing technology is helping our local highway departments do their incredibly important work of keeping our roadways safe while cutting back on road salt usage. My hope is that we can do the same throughout the Park. A comprehensive study, including a pilot program, would give us the data we need to develop best practices.”

Little said the Adirondack Watershed Institute at Paul Smith’s College has studied the issue for numerous years and found hundreds of instances of high sodium contamination in wells downslope of state highways with some exceeding federal standards for safe drinking. High salinity can contribute to high blood pressure and destroy plumbing and household appliances, pollute streams, rivers and lakes and negatively impact wildlife and soil quality.

The “Randy Preston Road Salt Reduction Act,” named in honor of the long-time Wilmington Supervisor and Adirondack champion who passed away last July, would create a 14-member task force of appointed state and local stakeholders. The task force would conduct a thorough review of road salt application within the Adirondack Park and provide a public report to the governor and State Legislature with recommendations of road salt reduction targets and best management practices by September 1, 2021.

That report would inform the road salt reduction pilot plan and test program to be led by the Department of Transportation in cooperation with the Department of Environmental Conservation. Between October 15 and June 30, beginning 2021 through 2024, the pilot plan would test best management practices on all state-owned roadways within the boundary of the Adirondack Park. A variety of application techniques and road management strategies would be tested while monitoring surface and ground water.

Following the completion of the pilot plan and test, the DOT and DEC would submit a report to the governor and State Legislature by August 30, 2024, detailing the impact on road safety and water quality in the Adirondack Park.

The bill will return to the Assembly before being delivered to Governor Andrew Cuomo for consideration.

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Summer’s Promise


Native plant species in Lake George benefit the lake, performing such functions as stabilizing sediments and providing habitat for fish and other aquatic organisms.

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LGLC and Town of Bolton to Protect 62 Acre Bradley’s Lookout, Adding to The Pinnacle and Bolton Hub


The view of Lake George looking north from Bradley’s Lookout in the town of Bolton. Photo Credit: Lake George Land Conservancy (Click photo to see larger version.)

The Town of Bolton and the Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) have announced their intention to purchase a 62 acre parcel of land in the town known as Bradley’s Lookout. The Town will purchase the property from the LGLC upon completion of their acquisition expected to occur late this summer. The property will be encumbered by a conservation easement held by the LGLC.

The Hawkins family has owned the 62+/- acre property known as “Bradley’s Lookout” in Bolton since the 1970’s. The property contains 7 acres of wetlands, including half of the pond that is located on the Town of Bolton’s Community Center property. The remainder of the land is wooded, including many stands of healthy hemlocks. The land includes a 1000-foot summit that offers views of Lake George including Dome Island as well as Black Mountain, Shelving Rock, and the Sagamore. The name comes from the historical use of the property, as the Bradley family who ran a horse-riding business in town, brought their horses up the summit to allow visitors to enjoy the views.

“First, I would like to thank the Lake George Land Conservancy Board of Directors and staff for their vision, leadership and support of this acquisition and for shepherding this purchase to a successful conclusion” said Ron Conover, Supervisor of the Town of Bolton. “This is a tremendous accomplishment and addition to Bolton’s Hub Program. It connects the Community Center and the Pinnacle as well as Cat and Thomas Mountains and upon completion will offer another spectacular hiking experience and Panoramic Views of Lake George to our visitors. In addition, it affords us sufficient land to provide additional much needed on-site parking” Conover said.

“The Lake George Land Conservancy has been a critical partner in the development of Bolton’s Hub Plan,” said Susan Wilson, Deputy Supervisor of the Town of Bolton who served on the original planning committee for the trail Hub. “The Pinnacle has already become one of the southern Adirondacks most popular hiking attractions and the Lookout builds upon this success. People come from all over the state and country to hike our trails. Bolton is quickly becoming a major four-season hiking destination attracting thousands of visitors annually to our region.”

“The protection of Bradley’s Lookout will benefit both the community and the lake for generations to come,” said LGLC Executive Director Jamie Brown. “Thanks to our continuing partnership with the Town of Bolton, the generosity and cooperation of the Hawkins family, and the help of our community, this amazing land will be protected forever. With its easily-accessible iconic view, thriving wetlands, gently sloping hardwood-hemlock forest, and essential role within the larger Bolton Hub Initiative, the protection of this property exemplifies how the LGLC protects the land that protects the lake for everyone.”

“The Lake George Land Conservancy is honored to be able to permanently protect this wonderful iconic property,” said LGLC President Michael O’Reilly. “Partnering with the Town of Bolton will ensure that everyone will forever enjoy the beauty of this land while the Lake’s water quality is enhanced.”

“Our mother loved The Lookout,” said Lee Harrison. “I think mostly because of her memories of riding along the back roads of Bolton with Mr. Bradley. Mother knew the back roads of Bolton like the back of her hand, having spent every summer of her girlhood there, and she led us on many expeditions to fields and streams to play in, pick blueberries in, or just to admire the view. When The Lookout came up for sale, she just had to save it, so she did.”

This project follows another similar land acquisition in December of 2019 that added 212 acres to the Bolton Hub region. The protection of that property, part of the Twin Pines Resort owned by the McGurl family, was also made possible thanks to the LGLC’s good working partnership with the Town of Bolton.

The Bolton Recreational Hub (the Hub) is a collaborative effort between the LGLC, Town of Bolton, and Bolton Landing Chamber of Commerce, that combines the goals and outcomes of land conservation for water quality protection with the access to quality recreational opportunities and commerce within the Town of Bolton. A comprehensive Bolton Recreational Hub Strategy was published in 2019, and provides guidance for conservation and recreational projects going forward.

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Lake George Fishing


A northern pike caught off of Huletts recently.

I really enjoy passing along pictures of large fish caught in Lake George. This picture was sent to me by some fishermen who caught this northern pike off of Huletts recently. I was told it was a “fight” to reel it in.