Posted on

Dead Tree Along Third Fairway Removed


Dead limbs can be see scattered along the ground under a tree that was recently cut down.

The tree pictured above, which stood along the third fairway of the golf course, was recently cut down. Limbs were perpetually falling off the tree and the assessment was that it was dead and rotted throughout, so it was taken down before someone got hurt.

You can see from the photo that this winter has been really mild in Huletts, so far, with almost no snow and the Lake looking more and more like it will skip the freeze this year.

Posted on

Lake George Land Conservancy Closes on Reed Parcel, Moves Forward With South Mountain Initiative


Photo of the “Reed Property” on the east shore and north toward Ticonderoga, taken from the west shore’s Roger’s Little Slide. (Click image to see full-scale.)

The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) has purchased 140 acres that are part of the South Mountain range in Putnam, for the price of $210,000. The closing took place on December 15, 2015.

Contrary to its name, South Mountain is in the northeastern corner of Lake George, stretching between Mount Defiance in Ticonderoga and the Anthony’s Nose property in Putnam.

The acquisition of this 140-acre piece, the “Reed property,” is the first major accomplishment in LGLC’s South Mountain Initiative, a project that aims to protect the entire South Mountain ridge line with the goals of ridge line protection, wildlife habitat protection, and recreational connectivity.

The entire South Mountain ridge line, which is mostly undeveloped, is highly visible from Roger’s Rock and LGLC’s Cook Mountain Preserve in Ticonderoga, and is also a dominant part of the visible landscape from Fort Ticonderoga.


Full panorama of South Mountain range, from Mt Defiance to Flat Rock, taken from the west shore. Huletts Landing is visible on the opposite side of the lake – far right hand corner. (Click image to see full-scale.)

In addition to providing a continuous stretch of forest for wildlife habitat, the mountain range has been identified as a “core forest block,” in a 2013 study conducted by the Vermont Chapter of The Nature Conservancy in partnership with the Staying Connected Initiative. These forest blocks are key to providing habitat linkage from Vermont’s Green Mountains to the Adirondack Park for wide-ranging mammals such as the bobcat, fisher and moose.

The Reed property contains a large vernal pool, possibly one of the largest vernal pools in the Lake George watershed. Vernal pools are critical breeding habitats for amphibians, including frogs and salamanders. In addition, birds such as egrets, ducks, and hawks use vernal pools as a seasonal source of food and water.

A major focus for the South Mountain Initiative has also been to increase recreational opportunities, especially to connect existing trails in Ticonderoga to those managed by LGLC in Putnam. The acquisition of the Reed property was a necessary step towards this goal. The LGLC has been in ongoing conversations with neighboring landowners since the summer of 2015 to implement trail easements that would allow the creation of a public trail corridor nearly 7 miles long, stretching from Mount Defiance to LGLC’s Anthony’s Nose Preserve trailhead. Further efforts are also underway to connect Anthony’s Nose to LGLC’s Last Great Shoreline and Gull Bay Preserves. Once completed, the trail would have multiple trailheads and include several scenic viewpoints that would look out over Lake George and the greater Adirondacks, as well as Lake Champlain and Vermont.

Funding for the Reed property acquisition was secured through grants from the Helen V. Froehlich Foundation ($135,000) and the Wildlife Forever Fund ($10,000), and through individual donors, most of whom gave during LGLC’s annual celebration on July 31, 2015.

Posted on

2015 LGPC Boat Inspection Program – Final Report

Lake George Friends and Partners,

Attached, please find the Lake George Park Commission’s 2015 Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Program Final Report. This report concluded the two-year pilot mandatory trailered boat inspection program for Lake George, and details both how the program was administered and its outcomes. This program simply would not have been possible without the tremendous support of our many partners, both state and local, who have provided the funding necessary to make this program a reality. The Commission believes that this program has been a success in working to protect Lake George, and this effort has been broadly supported by both the users of the lake and the public in general. A recent Sienna Research Institute poll of recreational users of the lake noted that “96% of respondents rated this program as important or very important in protecting Lake George.” We owe a considerable debt to the dozens of organizations and passionate individuals who have helped shape this program into one that does not impact boater use of Lake George while still providing for strong protection. In fact, boater registrations on Lake George have actually increased over the two years of this pilot program. Thanks to our funding partners, there has been no cost to boaters on Lake George for either the inspection or a decontamination if required. We believe this is the best model achievable, and will work to maintain this key element to the program.

Looking to the future, the Commission is currently working to make this initiative a permanent program on Lake George. It will take continued support and diligence from all of our collective agencies and organizations to do so, but we believe that given what’s at stake, this support will continue for the long-term.

I invite you to take a look at this report to get a broader understanding of the outcomes of this aquatic invasive species prevention effort. Please feel free to share this with anyone who you think will be interested. We are always open to new ideas and thoughts for improvement, so please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Commission at any time with your thoughts and ideas.

Working collectively we also had a very aggressive year in addressing the Eurasian watermilfoil issue in Lake George, and you can find a comprehensive 2015 Milfoil Control Final Report on our website at www.lgpc.state.ny.us.

Wishing you the best in 2016,

Dave Wick
LGPC Executive Director

Posted on

Lake George Towns Get Sophisticated Salt-Spreading Equipment


Lake George Town Highway Supervisor Dan Davis (right) shows LGA Project Manager Randy Rath (left) how a Lake George Town driver would use the Dickey-john equipment that the LGA purchased for the Town.

Just in time for winter, the Lake George Association has purchased a package of sophisticated salt-spreading equipment for the Town of Lake George – the latest step in the LGA’s effort to protect Lake George water. Dresden and other lake-adjoining towns have received temperature sensors to monitor local roads.

The need for the equipment was identified in a 2014 report developed by Beth Gilles, Assistant Director of the Lake Champlain-Lake George Regional Planning Board, and Lake George Association staff.

“The greatest threat to Lake George’s water is storm runoff and pollution from sources other than industrial or agricultural sites,” said C. Walter Lender, Executive Director of the Lake George Association. “One of those sources is salt applied to roads in the winter. We all want clear and safe roads, and we must balance that need with the concern about how winter road maintenance practices are affecting Lake George. This purchase is the next step in addressing those concerns.”


Lake George Town Highway Supervisor Dan Davis (left) shows LGA Project Manager Randy Rath (right) the plow truck’s gate, through which the salt is sent to the spinner plate on the rear of the vehicle.

The Dickey-john Control Point System purchased for the Town of Lake George, at a cost of $6,000, allows the driver to precisely control the rate that material is sent to the truck’s spinner, and controls the speed of the truck’s spinner to maintain even coverage of salt, slowing and stopping when the truck does the same. Following the LGA’s investment, Warren County Soil & Water Conservation District purchased a second Dickey-john package to outfit a second truck for the Town of Lake George, allowing the town’s Highway Department to better control, monitor and track the amount of de-icing material being used on two of its major snow-clearing routes. The LGA also assisted the Regional Planning Board in the purchase of temperature sensors for the Town in 2014, and the Town is pairing the new equipment with the sensors.


The Dickey-john equipment is installed at the right hand of the Town of Lake George plow truck driver.

The sensors display the temperature of the roadway in real time. Because pavement is often warmer than the air – and because the snow or ice crystals will melt more quickly on warmer roads – the sensors allow the truck operator to apply enough material to ensure the snow/ice is melted without applying an overabundance of the material to the road.

In addition to the Town of Lake George, temperature sensors were purchased for and provided to the Town of Queensbury and the Town of Dresden. Dresden has temperature sensors as part of the purchase with the Lake Champlain Lake George Regional Planning Board. The Watershed Coalition subcommittee has discussed with Dresden the town’s needs and is working with them to get more information.

Dresden for years has used mostly sand on its roads – only 20% of what Dresden puts down is salt, according to the town. However, Dresden is working with the LGA and the LCLG Regional Planning Board to see where it can do more.

“We were pleased to accept the equipment for our trucks and have already installed both systems on two trucks,” said Dan Davis, Highway Superintendent for the Town of Lake George. “We are looking forward to seeing how well the equipment works to better control how much salt we are using.”

In addition to our own work, the Lake George Association is partnering with a subcommittee of the Lake George Watershed Coalition on a project to discover ways for regional DPWs to reduce their salt use if possible. The subcommittee includes Gilles, LGA Project Manager Randy Rath and LGA Education Director Kristen Rohne, and Dave Wick, Lake George Park Commission Executive Director.

The subcommittee has been surveying regional DPWs to better understand their winter road maintenance practices as well as develop a list of future equipment needs so the departments can better track and manage salt application.

(Photos Courtesy of the Lake George Association.)

Posted on

Gate to Washington County Beach to be Opened During Offseason


The entrance of the Washington County Beach.

Supervisor Gang informs me that Washington County has agreed to leave the gate opened at the Washington County Public Beach over the winter. This is the same policy that has been in effect as before.

The gate will be open on November 1st until sometime in the Spring.

The three fire departments, Dresden, Huletts and Whitehall, also will have keys to the gate so that they can get into the parking area at anytime for practice or water refilling.

Posted on

Dier Elected To Lead LGA Board of Directors

Lake George native Mike Dier has been elected president of the Lake George Association’s Board of Directors.

“I am honored to become President of the Lake George Association’s Board of Directors, and look forward to working with our talented and effective staff and our engaged board members to continue the LGA’s important work,” Dier said.

“Mike has been involved in the Lake George Association for many years, most recently as our Executive Vice President.” said C. Walter Lender, Executive Director of the Lake George Association. “His love for the Lake is clear to anyone who has worked with him, and his energy and drive will help to continue our work protecting Lake George water and educating for the future.”

Dier, who now lives in Queensbury, said it is crucial for the LGA to focus on new and future partnerships whenever possible. “In recent years we’ve seen a strong sense of cooperation develop between the Lake George Association and municipalities, Warren County Soil and Water, the other nonprofits, and the regulatory agencies like the Lake George Park Commission that work in the Lake George watershed,” Dier said. “That regular cooperation is beneficial for the health of the Lake. In many cases, we can do so much more together than we could separately.”

“We are looking forward to continuing that cooperation so that critical Lake-Saving Projects – on our own and with our partners – will proceed in sustaining Lake George’s water quality,” he added.

Along with Dier, the LGA Board of Directors elected Cheryl Lamb as Executive Vice President and Daniel Behan, Jr., as Treasurer.

Lamb was re-elected to the LGA Board of Directors in August at its Annual Meeting. She and her husband, Buzz, are the former owners of Norowal Marina in Bolton Landing.

Behan is a project manager for Saratoga Prime Properties and has 25 years of experience in marina management and development, including the Harris Bay Yacht Club in Cleverdale and the Bolton Landing Marina.

Cathy LaBombard was re-elected as Secretary, and Dan Davies and Bill Dutcher were re-elected as Vice Presidents. Former Board President Victor Hershaft will remain involved with the LGA as the past president. “I am honored to continue working for the Lake George Association in a formal capacity,” Hershaft said, “and I am pleased to see that the Board has chosen Mike as our President. He is eminently qualified to keep the protection of Lake George moving forward.”

Dier grew up in (and on) Lake George with swimming, boating and camping as some of his earliest memories. “I know now that the accomplishments of the Lake George Association and its partners are why we were able to enjoy the lake then, and why we are able to enjoy it now.” “I got involved in the LGA because I saw that it was an organization of action – real, in the-ground action that makes significant differences in the protection of water quality in Lake George,” Dier said. “What’s also important is that the Lake George Association accomplishes that delicate balance of respecting the Lake’s needs and respecting the needs of the various users. It’s not easy to do, but it is important. We are all fortunate to be able to have and use Lake George – a resource that the LGA’s been preserving for more than a century,” he said

Posted on

Dresden Finishes Water Chestnut Removal in Lake Champlain for 2015


Water chestnuts growing along the side of Lake Champlain near the South Bay boat launch.(Click picture to see full-scale.)

With September drawing to a close, Dresden has completed another year of removing the invasive water chestnut plant from the South Bay of Lake Champlain.

Dresden is reimbursed up to a total of $80,000 by the Department of Environmental Conservation for removing the pesky weed from the shoreline of Lake Champlain. The big red floating harvesters can be seen throughout the summer removing the weeds from the lake.

The water chestnut creates tangled dense webs of almost impenetrable floating leaves that can snarl boat propellers.

After cutting and harvesting, the weeds are brought ashore and removed by the dump truck.


The area in front of the South Bay boat launch is now clear after the 2015 harvesting.(Click picture to see full-scale.)

Posted on

LGPC Votes to Make Boat Inspections Permanent


A boat being inspected as it enters Lake George at Mossy Point Boat Launch.

The Lake George Park Commission at its monthly meeting this week voted to move ahead with the process to create a permanent Boat Inspection Program on Lake George, calling the two-year pilot — which expires at the end of this year — very successful.

The vote represents a major milestone in protecting Lake George from invasive species arriving by trailered boats.

As you likely know, the Park Commission’s Boat Inspection Program is the regulatory outgrowth of the Lake George Association’s successful Lake Steward Program.

At the LGPC meeting in Ticonderoga this week, Park Commission Chairman Bruce Young said that among the reasons why the program should become permanent are:

• It is effective in managing the risk of invasive species entering Lake George,
• It is widely accepted by boaters and by residents, and
• The data shows that the program is not hurting tourism or cutting back on boating traffic to Lake George. In fact, more boats were inspected in 2015 than in 2014.

LGA Executive Director C. Walter Lender said the LGA is pleased to support the effort to make the inspection program permanent.

“We know that the Lake George Park Commission’s Boat Inspection Program is critical to protecting Lake George. That is why the Lake George Association has pledged $30,000 a year for the next three years as part of the local match for the program.”

“That $30,000 comes from our members, who have told us that the inspection program is quite important to them. It’s a smart investment,” Lender said.

In the last two years, the Park Commission’s personnel at boat launches have had contact with nearly 42,000 boaters. In each instance, the boat has been inspected and decontaminated, if necessary (16% have needed to be cleaned in 2015). Nearly 250 confirmed aquatic invasive samples have been removed from boats in the last two years – and 40 samples are still being analyzed.

Before a permanent program can be put in place, there must be public hearings – two are being tentatively planned for December. The Park Commission will also accept written public comment on the proposed regulations that make the program permanent.

Posted on

Tom Hall Joins LGLC Board


Diamond Point resident Tom Hall is the newest member of the Lake George Land Conservancy’s Board of Directors.

The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) has announced that Diamond Point resident Tom Hall is the newest member of its Board of Directors. Mr. Hall joins the Board with extensive environmental and management experience, as well as a deep local connection to the lake.

LGLC Executive Director Jamie Brown said, “We are thrilled that Tom has agreed to join our Board. His passion for Lake George, the outdoors, and the environment are a perfect fit for LGLC. Tom’s experience working at the DEC will provide a helpful perspective on our efforts to protect the special places around the lake.”

Mr. Hall said, “I am excited by the good work the Lake George Land Conservancy does, and am looking forward to the opportunity to put my skills and experience to work to advance the mission and objectives of the organization.”

Mr. Hall retired from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) nearly 5 years ago after a 33 year career in public service that focused on environmental protection. At retirement, he held the position of Special Assistant/Assistant Regional Director for NYS DEC Region 5 – an eight-county upstate area approximately the size of the State of Vermont that includes most of the Adirondack Park and all of the Lake George watershed.

During his tenure with DEC, Mr. Hall was involved with implementing NYS’s Freshwater Wetlands Law, an important but controversial regulatory program that set the stage for protecting NYS wetland resources; managed environmental permitting as an Environmental Analyst and Permit Administrator; was responsible for the oversight and management of NYS DEC’s environmental permitting program within NYS DEC Region 5 as Regional Permit Administrator; and, as Assistant Regional Director, served as a NYS representative to the Lake Champlain Basin Program, administratively managed the Warrensburg DEC office and oversaw the Regional Legal Affairs Office. He also served as a Lake George Park Commissioner for a number of years.

Since retiring from public service, Mr. Hall has worked part-time as a Regulatory Specialist for AECOM and currently holds the same title with VHB Engineering & Planning. Both are private sector engineering and environmental planning firms with local offices in the Albany area.

Mr. Hall is President of the Board of Trustees of the Hillview Free Library in Diamond Point, Treasurer of the Town of Bolton Local Development Corporation, on the Board of Directors of Norowal Marina, Inc. and on the Board of Directors of the Lake George Music Festival.

Mr. Hall and his wife, Lydia, live in Diamond Piont, and their two adult children also live locally.

Posted on

LGA Assists Park Commission On Lakewide Asian Clam Survey

Three staff members from the Lake George Association – and two summer outreach interns – participated in four of the six days of the most recent Lakewide Survey for Asian Clams.

The program, in which participants sampled sandy sediment at about 200 sites on shoreline areas of Lake George looking for the invasive species, is directed by the Lake George Park Commission.

Education Director Kristen Rohne participated on three separate days, LGA Educator Jill Trunko participated on two separate days, and Communications Director Patrick Dowd participated on two separate days.

The Lake George Association commits significant resources each year on its own and in partnerships with other organizations to control and prevent the spread of aquatic and terrestrial invasive species in Lake George’s watershed. Because invasive species have no natural predators or external control, they out-compete native species for resources, growing and spreading until they completely take over an area. Those actions present a serious threat to the water quality of Lake George – and protecting Lake George’s water is the primary mission of the Lake George Association.

Education and spread prevention are the most cost-effective ways to control invasive species on Lake George, and the LGA has significant investment in both. The LGA’s broad focus on both aquatic and terrestrial invasive species aims to keep the Lake and its watershed healthy into the next century.

For results of this year’s Lakewide Survey for Asian Clams, please visit the Lake George Park Commission’s website here.

(Update: I mistakenly linked to the 2014 report originally. The link has now been updated to link to the correct 2015 report.)

The Post Star has a video of the search process on YouTube.

Posted on

Steven Engelhart, Executive Director of Adirondack Architectural Heritage, to Speak Thursday August 20th in Huletts

Steven Engelhart, the Executive Director of Adirondack Architectural Heritage, will continue the Friends of Historic Huletts Landing (FHHL) Summer Lecture Series on Thursday, August 20th at 7:30 pm at the Mountain Grove Memorial Church.

During the late 19th century, the Adirondack Park became a mecca for sportsmen and other people seeking recreation. Native builders and architects developed a rustic style of architecture that is now known as Adirondack Architecture.

How did this style begin? What are its essential elements? Why is it so unique? All of these questions and more will be covered on Thursday evening.

Mr. Engelhart has fascinating stories on Adirondack structures – bridges, fire towers, great camps, prisons and boat houses.

Please join the Friends of Historic Huletts Landing on Thursday, August 20th at 7:30 pm at the Mountain Grove Memorial Church for this interesting and engaging talk!