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LGA’s Rohne Named to Board of State Federation of Lake Associations


Kristen Rohne, of the Lake George Association.

Kristen Rohne, the Lake George Association’s Director of Education, has been elected to serve on the Board of Directors of the New York State Federation of Lake Associations.

The election took place at the Federation’s recent annual conference in Hamilton, NY.

“NYSFOLA is delighted to welcome Kristen to our Board of Directors,” said Nancy Mueller, Manager of the New York Federation of Lake Associations. “Her professional experience at the Lake George Association and deep connections with many Adirondack region lake associations makes her a valuable member.”

“We are stronger together,” said Rohne. “Our lakes don’t exist in a vacuum, so it is important to share the message of water protection and share tips to make that happen so we are all protected and knowledgeable. NYSFOLA is a powerful tool that allows us all to collaborate, share knowledge and share experiences. I am proud and humbled to be elected to the Board.”

Like the Lake George Association, NYSFOLA members focus on protecting and improving water quality in hundreds of lakes throughout the state. NYSFOLA helped develop the groundbreaking Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Program and is actively involved in many other lake management issues. It is the New York State chapter of the North American Lake Management Society.

“NYSFOLA was incorporated in 1983, largely through the efforts of the Lake George Association, and we have a long history of collaboration,” Mueller said. “Kristen will be the fourth LGA representative on the NYSFOLA Board, and we look forward to her contributions.”

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Volunteers Needed for Invasives Work Days in Ticonderoga

The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) is hosting a three-day effort to eradicate invasive shrubby honeysuckle from the Cook Mountain Preserve in Ticonderoga, June 7-9, 10 am to 6 pm.

The forest of the Cook Mountain Preserve has become overtaken by invasive shrubby honeysuckle, a non-native aggressive plant that overtakes forest understories, pushing out native plants that are needed to provide shelter and nutritious food for wildlife. Their growth is often so dense that no other plants grow beneath its branches, leaving the ground bare.

Volunteers are invited to help cut and pull these aggressive shrubs so that native plants can move back in and restore the forest to a healthier place for wildlife. No RSVP required – volunteers may stop by the preserve any day, any time between 10 am and 6 pm and stay as little or as long as they can. Volunteers are also encouraged to bring work gloves and branch clippers, and wear sturdy shoes, long sleeves and pants, and insect repellent to protect against scratches and ticks.

The Cook Mountain Preserve is located on Baldwin Road in Ticonderoga, 1.4 miles from Alexandria Ave. For more information and specific directions, go to lglc.org, call 518-644-9673, or email shoffman@lglc.org.

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LGA Invests $30,000 In 2016 Toward Preventing Aquatic Invasives


Lake George Association Executive Director, Walt Lender (right), handing Lake George Park Commission Executive Director, Dave Wick (left), a $30,000 check.

In the first year of a new era in Lake George water protection, the Lake George Association has followed through on its commitment to provide necessary financial support for the Lake George Park Commission’s Mandatory Boat Inspection Program.

Following the Park Commission’s recent adoption of permanent regulations for the Mandatory Boat Inspection Program, Lake George Association Executive Director Walt Lender presented Park Commission Executive Director David Wick with a check for $30,000 – the first installment of the LGA’s three-year commitment.

“Aquatic invasive species pose a serious threat to the waters of Lake George and can cause significant detrimental impacts to the ecology and economy of the Lake George Park,” Lender said. “Having worked with the Park Commission for decades, we know this investment made by the LGA on behalf of its members and donors is going to be put to good use to protect Lake George’s water quality.”

The LGA is one of a number of organizations – nonprofits and municipalities – to share the costs of the program so that trailered vessels arriving at Lake George can be inspected to ensure they meet the “Clean, Drained and Dry” standard and be decontaminated if necessary at no charge to them.

The Park Commission’s two-year pilot boat inspection program that concluded in 2015 successfully processed 48,081 boats through the seven inspection stations and decontaminated 2,895 vessels.

As far as the LGA is concerned, that’s 2,895 very good reasons to support the Mandatory Boat Inspection Program.

The LGA’s investment of $30,000 in the Lake George Park Commission’s Mandatory Boat Inspection Program follows on the announcement earlier in the spring that the Lake George Association is doubling its investment in milfoil removal in 2016 – to $100,000 from $50,000.

The milfoil removal project is coming into the third year of a three-year intensive effort to remove as much milfoil as possible in Lake George. That project also includes nonprofits and the Lake George Park Commission.

The Lake George Association is the guardian of Lake George water quality, and has been for more than 130 years. Founded in 1885, our membership is composed of thousands of residents, visitors and business owners who help the LGA with our mission to protect Lake George from the perils that face modern lakes.

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Work Finished to Prevent Post Office Parking Flooding


This photo, taken in February 2016, shows the flooding that was occurring in the Post Office parking area due to the repaving of County Route 6 last year.

Now that things are getting warmer, work is beginning on a number of projects in Huletts Landing. Over the past two days, the county installed a dry well off of County Route 6 to alleviate some flooding that was occurring in the Post Office parking area due to the repaving of County Route 6 last year.


A hole was dug on the side of County Route 6, near the Post Office flag pole.


The completed hole once the dirt was removed.


Great care was taken to see that the Post Office parking area remained open while the work progressed.


The dry well was brought in and lifted into place.


The final placement of the dry well.


Stone was added as back-fill to improve the drainage.


The almost completed work as of Thursday afternoon.

The county will return over the next few days to restore the paving and re-seed the grassy area. (Click all pictures to see larger version.)

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Glens Falls Foundation Awards Grant to LGLC, Supports Hike Campaign


The Pinnacle, on the lake’s west shore in the town of Bolton, is one of the many trails highlighted in the LGLC’s new pocket guide. (Click image to see larger view.)

The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) was recently awarded a $3,000 grant from the Glens Falls Foundation in support of its Hike Lake George campaign.

The Hike Lake George campaign was launched in 2015 in order to promote the parks, preserves and trails managed by the LGLC as important recreational and economic assets throughout the Lake George region. The Foundation’s grant will enable the LGLC to expand the campaign’s reach by increasing its presence in regional publications and media outlets.

The LGLC is a non-profit land trust that works to protect the water quality of Lake George through land conservation. These efforts also result in the establishment of parks and preserves that are opened to the public; the LGLC currently manages 18 parks and preserves that are open to the public year-round or by special request with nearly 35 miles of trails for hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and, at some preserves, hunting and snowmobiling.

In order to promote Hike Lake George, the LGLC created a Pocket Guide to LGLC Parks and Preserves handout that will be updated each spring and widely distributed at hospitality businesses, tourism and visitor centers, and at all LGLC trailheads. This summer, the Guide and its message to “Hike Lake George” will also reach a broader audience, thanks in large part to the Foundation’s support, in the form of full-page advertisements in regional newspapers and other media outlets.


The cover of the LGLC’s Pocket Guide to Parks and Preserves.

“We are exceedingly grateful for the Glens Falls Foundation’s support of this initiative,” said LGLC Executive Director Jamie Brown. “The Hike Lake George campaign is a huge project that benefits everyone who is looking for opportunities to get out and enjoy the peace and beauty of Lake George. Thanks to the Foundation, we’ll be able to expand our reach and show that it’s easy to find a trail for every hiker.”

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LGA Awarded Nearly $50,000 in Grants from Lake Champlain Basin Program


Hague Brook, where the Lake George Association plans to stabilize the stream bank. (Click image to see full-scale.)

The Lake George Association has been awarded a total of $47,908 in grants by the Lake Champlain Basin Program for programs, projects and equipment for 2016. The grants will allow the Lake George Association to continue to protect Lake George water quality and to provide education for the future.

The largest of the grants totals $19,608 and will be used for major stream repairs – the LGA’s 2016 Project Focus. The two streams targeted with this grant money are Hague Brook and Jenkins Brook – both in the town of Hague. The work that the LGA is planning with our partners is expected to stabilize stream banks in order to prevent sediment and other material from entering Lake George and degrading the lake’s water quality. The stream repairs are also expected to improve fish habitats in both areas and allow fish to move farther upstream than is currently possible.

“Stream health is very important to Lake George,” said Randy G. Rath, Project Manager for the Lake George Association. “Maintaining or repairing the paths of streams and brooks – and stopping stormwater from eroding streambanks – keeps Lake George clear of runoff, sediment, and debris that can contaminate the Lake.”

The second grant – $14,300 – will help to pay for two Invasive Species Spread Prevention Education Interns. With a long history of educational outreach on invasive species, the Lake George Association plans to hire two interns for the season who will help educate visitors and the community about the threats of invasive species – and about ways the public can help prevent the spread of invasive species both on land and in the water.

“The Lake George Association understands the importance of spread prevention education,” said Kristen Rohne, Director of Education for the Lake George Association. “It’s something we have been doing for a long time as part of our mission

“We realize that the more visitors and residents know about the threats, the better they will understand how their everyday actions can protect the Lake as well as protect all of the surrounding water bodies,” Rohne said. “We expect that in addition to their own work, our invasive species interns will supplement the outreach and informational work being done by Lake George Park Commission’s Boat Inspection Program. The interns will be able to interact with visitors and residents away from the boat launches and increase awareness before the visitors even get to the shoreline,” she added.

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Huletts Landing Volunteer Fire Department News

Jay Vander Plaat, Chief of the Huletts Landing Volunteer Fire Department, was kind enough to provide an update about some winter training activities.

Wanted everyone to know that on the Saturday of Super Bowl weekend, Jim Leghorn brought up two donated ice rescue suits. We now have four and we can practice rescues. Now it’s not as hard to find someone to play the victim. It doesn’t take a lot to get it started and by 2:00 pm on Saturday there were ten of us on a dock in Indian Bay.

So, Terry Storms and his wife, Lee, Jim Leghorn and his wife, Cathy, John Delucca and his wife, Robin, Barb Semcken, our medical person, (just in case), Jay Vander Plaat, Luke Smith and Sandy Stragnell all made our way out onto a dock in Indian Bay. Some ice, some open water, perfect conditions to refine our skills. No one expected that the ice would be thick enough to support us. It takes two people about three minutes to get someone into a suit.

While that was going on, some practiced throwing our rescue bags and some practiced repacking them so they could be thrown again. Everyone in the water is tied off with a rescue line. People on shore have special life preservers on. Everyone needs to have an understanding of what’s happening and what happens next.

Our teamwork continues to improve. Every time we try this conditions are different; old ice 12 inches thick that you cannot walk on, new ice less than two inches thick that you can sit on the edge and dangle your feet in the water, or no ice where we just practice simple skills like what happens when you lose your balance and turn over on your back like a turtle. With practice you can defeat the instant panic on not being able to get your feet back underneath by rolling onto your stomach. It’s all good.

Everyone has a real commitment to community service and the fellowship is next to none. Looking forward to seeing everyone again in the summer.

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Dangerously Cold Weather Arrives


A screen shot of the temperature in Huletts at 6:45 am on February 14, 2016.

Hopefully you are someplace warm this morning because it’s definitely not that in Huletts.

Issued by The National Weather Service
Albany, NY – 5:32am EST, Sun Feb 14

… WIND CHILL WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON…
* LOCATIONS… ALL OF EAST CENTRAL NEW YORK AND WESTERN NEW ENGLAND.
* HAZARD TYPES… LIFE THREATENING WIND CHILLS.
* WIND CHILL READINGS… 25 TO 60 BELOW ZERO AT TIMES. THE COLDEST WIND CHILL VALUES WILL BE ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE SOUTHERN ADIRONDACKS AND SOUTHERN GREEN MOUNTAINS.
* TIMING… THROUGH EARLY THIS AFTERNOON… WITH THE COLDEST WIND CHILL VALUES THIS MORNING.

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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.

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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.

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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