Category: The Environment

The deadline to apply for the Lake George Land Conservancy’s annual scholarship totaling $1,000 has been extended from April 1st to April 15th.

To apply, a high school senior must submit an essay between 1,000 and 2,000 words addressing this year’s question: “If you were elected the Wizard Mayor of the Lake George watershed, what would your first three projects be and why?”

Essays should still be submitted by email to: hbartonbenedict@lglc.org

Eligibility is restricted to high school seniors who live year round in the Lake George basin and includes year-round residents of Huletts Landing. One $500 first-place and one $250 second-place prize will be awarded and an additional $250 will be awarded to the first-place winner’s school science program.

And the winner is…. Peg Olsen! Peg’s name was drawn by Art Franz as the winner of our 2012 Lake George Land Conservancy Name the Trail Drawing.

Held March 6th, the drawing ended a fundraiser for continued support of the Last Great Shoreline acquisition.

At stake was the right to name the Cook Mountain Preserve’s summit trail. Climbing 885 feet over one and one-quarter miles from the base of the preserve to its summit, the trail includes spectacular views of Lake George and Lake Champlain.

Cook Mountain Preserve, located on Baldwin Road in Ticonderoga, was established in 1990 through the generous donation of 176 acres by Donald and Marjorie Delano. In 1995, the preserve was expanded by an 18-acre addition donated by Dr. and Mrs. George Boyle.

Peg was thrilled upon receiving the good news. She chose to name the trail “the Ridges Trail”, in honor of her grandfather Robert P. Ridges and mother Jane Ridges Olsen, whom she says were “both great conservationists who inspired me to dedicate my life to conservation.”

The Lake George Land Conservancy thanks everyone who participated in the Name the Trail Drawing, and congratulates Peg for being the 2012 Name the Trail winner!

Photo courtesy of the Lake George Land Conservancy.

On Friday, March 16, 2012, the Lake George Park Commission Ad-Hoc Committee on Invasive Species (AIS) met in Bolton Landing.

The Ad-Hoc Committee on Invasive Species (AIS) is a sub-committee of the Lake George Park Commission.

Here is a summary of what was discussed at that meeting.

Sportsman want Lake George protected from invasive species and their 24/7 access to fishing protected.

Sportsmen don’t want any invasive species in the pristine waters of Lake George because they are a threat to the fisheries and the water purity. Anglers have seen the decline of water conditions and the fisheries of many bodies of water throughout NY. Fishermen enjoy travelling from one lake to another so they can fish different species and they have seen conditions change and are aware of the effects that invasive species can make to any body of water. Sportsmen take measures to prevent transporting and introducing invasive species from one body of water to another. Sportsmen read the signs located at public boat launches regarding invasive species as well as the many brochures with information on the prevention of the spread of invasives.

Members of the Lake George Fishing Alliance believe that education of all boaters is of great importance and a key factor to prevent the spread of any invasive species from one body of water to another. We highly respect and promote the Lake Steward program to help educate all boaters. Sportsmen are against any suggestion or ideas of the Park Commission’s Committee on Invasive Species Prevention to mandate boat inspections and to gate any public boat launch to prevent access and launching of a boat when an inspector is not on duty. Anglers don’t fish only between the hours of 9 to 5. Many sportsmen begin hunting or fishing before sun-up. We also hunt and fish 12 months of the year and not just during the Lake George tourist season. Sportsmen want and need 24/7 unrestricted access to launch our boats at all public boat launches that our hunting and fishing licenses fund.

Walt Kendall
President of the Lake George Fishing Alliance
www.lgfa.org

On Friday, February 17th at 12:26 pm I received an email from the staff at the Lake George Park Commission containing the public notice of a meeting of the Lake George Park Commission at 1:30 pm.

That’s right: one hour and six minutes of lead time to the actual meeting!

Here is the exact email, which I received at 12:26 pm:

The Lake George Park Commission Committee on Invasive Species Spread Prevention will be holding a meeting this afternoon at the Bolton Town Hall at 1:30 p.m.

I am sorry for the delay in getting this notice out in time.

Whenever you see something like this, you pretty much know that that something big (and usually not good) is about to happen.

What happened at that meeting; which the public was notified of one hour and six minutes before it took place?

You can read about it here in the Post Star.

Everyone is against the spread of invasive species. However, legitimate issues are being raised and need a full hearing.

Read the Adirondack Journal piece here.

Last year, I asked the Lake George Association if they would provide a “Lake Steward” inspector for Huletts Landing and they told me they didn’t have the funding.

Here is my proposal: A lake steward should be offered to inspect boats for invasive species at every launching facility. That steward would be paid by the Lake George Park Commission or the cost of providing that steward could be deducted from that marina’s dock fees paid to the Park Commission. Fisherman coming off-hours or off-season would not be discriminated against.

That’s a solution that could be implemented fairly quickly and that could be a win/win for everyone.

Here are some of my questions:

Where will the water that is used to wash off these unclean boats with possible invasive species drain to?
Are canoes, kayaks and car top boats included? If not, why not?
Why is this washing facility being put at Norowal Marina and not at the public state launch?
Is this the first step in banning all boats on the lake?
Are the commissioners making this decision serving on expired terms?

Whatever you think, we should all take notice, when we’re given one hour and six minutes to respond.

The LGLC is the Lake George Land Conservancy.

The Lake George Association has released a free report to the public with findings from the 2011 Lake Steward program.

Since 2006, lake stewards have inspected boats at high traffic launches around the Lake and have educated boaters about invasive species spread prevention.

Over the 2011 season, the Lake George lake stewards interacted with 8,593 boats:

· Within two weeks of their launch in Lake George, boaters had visited 193 unique waterbodies located in 15 different states.

· Other than Lake George itself, the next most frequently visited waterbody was the Hudson River, a waterbody with 91 different invasive species; 100 boats inspected had been in the Hudson within two weeks prior to launch in Lake George.

· Lake stewards collected 171 aquatic organism samples from 125 boats and trailers, and identified 87 samples to be invasive species.

· Four different species were found: Eurasian watermilfoil, curly-leaf pondweed, water chestnut and zebra mussels.

· 75% of boaters reported taking spread prevention methods before launching in the Lake.

Read the entire 2011 Lake Steward report from the LGA.

Correction to my Interview with Walt Lender, LGA Executive Director

In my interview with Mr. Lender of the Lake George Association, I asked the following question:

“The LGA has been in the forefront of removing large delta’s that have formed in the lake. The FUND for Lake George, your partner in the West Brook Conservation Initiative, is opposed to these efforts and says it may sue to stop them. What should people make of all of this?”

As someone who has had my words misstated in public at times in the past, I am keenly aware of the importance of getting my facts correct and I make every attempt to accurately convey the positions of those whom I base my questions and assumptions on.

The source for my original question was this Post Star article entitled: “Lake George groups clash over proposed dredging of brooks’ deltas.” The article details the disagreement between those who favor and those who oppose the removal of deltas in Lake George.

The quote from this article that formed the assumption of my question was this particular line: “Backers of the $250,000 Finkle Brook project expect the Fund to file a lawsuit if DEC signs off on the project.”

I was incorrect to state that the FUND for Lake George has said that it may sue. As you can see, the quote from the Post Star that I based my assumption on was from; “Backers of the … project” who were unnamed. As such, my question as originally stated was in error.

I can point out that when the Foster Brook delta removal project in Huletts Landing was approved by the NYSDEC, there was no legal action taken by the Fund or the Waterkeeper.

I am correcting my original post and apologize for the erroneous statement contained in my original question.

Recently, I had the opportunity to interview C. Walter Lender, the Executive Director of the Lake George Association.

“Walt” as he is known by many on Lake George, guides the day-to-day activities of the Lake George Association. Below is my interview with him.

The Lake George Association is known as the premier organization working to protect Lake George. Could you tell our readers a little bit about yourself, how you became involved with the LGA and what your role as Executive Director is?

I have spent my career in the not-for-profit world, and I have a background in fund-raising and administration. I have also lived on Lake George all my life and have been involved in environmental issues and land use planning. I have always been an advocate for protecting the Lake from years back when I would give neighbors a hard time about feeding the ducks or make a pointed comment to a boater flipping a cigarette butt into the Lake. When the LGA executive director position opened in 2004, I could think of no better opportunity than the chance to make a career out of protecting the place I love.

As the LGA’s executive director I lead a staff of professionals who are tasked with various roles in fulfilling the LGA’s mission. I do a fair amount of fund-raising and a good deal of administration and management. We have a very experienced group of staff members who manage our projects, provide our educational and outreach programs and services, develop our member and donor base, and get the word out about what we do. My role is to make sure that we are fulfilling our mission to the best of our ability, and that we have the funds we need to do that effectively and efficiently.

What are some of your favorite activities on Lake George?

I have always loved swimming in Lake George. I first came here as an infant and then every summer thereafter until moving here to Black Point in Ticonderoga year-round at age nine. I was always bewildered when swimming in other water bodies as to why I sometimes could not see the bottom, even when only waist deep. Lake George has always been the gold standard for water quality for me. I also love taking friends and family out on the Lake on our boat in the summer to enjoy the scenic beauty and tell stories about its history. Inevitably they fall in love as I have done. Now that my wife and I are raising a family here on the Lake, we enjoy taking our six little ones (yes, six) out to one of the islands in the Waltonian group near Hague for picnics. We haven’t attempted overnight camping there yet, but I’m sure we’ll try that out as they get a bit older. I have sailed on Lake George, canoed and kayaked, fished a bit, and even tried SCUBA, but I think I most enjoy just sitting on the shore at the end of the day in the summer watching our kids take one last swim before the sun drops behind Rogers Rock.

The Lender family relaxing on Lake George.

The Lake George Association is involved in a very big reclamation project, which I note is quite unique, in Lake George Village. Could you give some background on this project and explain where the project presently stands?

Much of what the LGA is doing right now is unique. The LGA is often the leader in finding ways to better protect the Lake’s water quality. If you are referring to the West Brook Conservation Initiative on the old Gaslight Village property in Lake George, it is perhaps the first of its kind in the Northeast. What makes it unique is the public-private partnership involved in making the project happen. Rarely do you see several different not-for-profit organizations and municipal governments working together on something of this scale. The project will divert and treat millions of gallons of polluted stormwater draining off one of the most developed areas in the Lake George watershed. The earthwork, contours, and infrastructure for the stormwater treatment complex on the south portion of the site are already in place, and we should see wetland plants installed in the spring. This area was historically a massive wetland at the mouth of West Brook at the southernmost tip of the Lake which naturally filtered the stream before it entered the Lake. One of the most fulfilling aspects of the project is that it is restoring a wetland area that was filled in generations ago when people did not understand how critical it was in protecting the Lake. Now, with an engineered design, it can go back to its role in protecting Lake George water from sediment, harmful nutrients, and other pollutants.

So if everything falls into place, when do you hope it will be completed and what should the public expect?

The wetland restoration aspect of the project should be completed in the summer of 2012 when it will begin to manage stormwater. But one of the best parts of this project is the fact that this whole, once-blighted property, where Gaslight Village used to be, will become a beautiful public park. The LGA secured a $2.5 million dollar Federal Transportation Enhancement Program grant to build a park on the property as an overlay to the stormwater management function. So while stormwater will be filtered and cleaned, the public will be able to walk on trails and boardwalks throughout the wetland areas, and the municipalities will have functional open space to hold special events. This larger project will take a bit longer. This winter, in response to much public input, the consultants will be finishing up the design and engineering documents for the park elements and it should go out to bid later this year for construction in 2013. I’m sure everyone will be pleased with the result. It will be a great asset for the greater Lake George community.

The LGA has been in the forefront of removing large delta’s that have formed in the lake. The FUND for Lake George, your partner in the West Brook Conservation Initiative, has a different point of view on delta removals. What should people make of all of this?

Yes, the debate over delta removal has certainly heated up recently. I agree with some of the points that the Fund and Waterkeeper programs have raised, and we have addressed their concerns. Many more groups, municipalities, and individuals support removing the deltas than oppose it. We have performed hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of remediation, retrofitting, and streambank stabilization in the watersheds of these streams. More areas of concern are also bound to come up in time. But we feel that it is time to remove certain deltas. Other streams might need more work before their deltas are removed. None of us wants to remove a delta and have it fill right back in. That would be impractical and not cost effective. We want to see these deltas removed in a way that we can be sure no harm is done to the Lake.

I know everyone loves Lake George, but for many Lake George is a second home and they’re not here all the time. How do suggest that regular “folks” who are not always here, help support your efforts?

Membership is key to our success. Our funding stream depends on dollars raised through Member dues. We need everyone who enjoys Lake George to have some part in protecting it for the next generations. That’s our collective responsibility. Those who came before us gave us a gift, and we need to pay it forward. The LGA was formed by its original members over 126 years ago largely because those who were not able to be here on the ground taking action and being vigilant relied on those few who were able to be present at the Lake. More folks are here year round than was the case in 1885, but it still takes a certain ability to focus on the issues and take action when we can. Not everyone can do that with today’s busy schedules, but the LGA is tasked with that responsibility. It’s our mission. We have a professional staff of year-round employees supplemented by summer Lake Stewards all of whom work to protect the Lake. Our greatest limitation is our funding. We need private and public funds to accomplish all the projects that we undertake and provide all the programs that we have developed. People can stay in touch with the LGA all year long and from anywhere in the world through our website, facebook, and e-news. Subscribe here: www.lakegeorgeassociation.org

While the summer is still a long way away, a lot of things happen here in the winter. Can you tell our readers how the LGA works to protect the lake during the cold winter months?

While there is no “down time” in any effort to protect such a precious resource as Lake George, the winter months see us shift gears from programs that take place outside on the Lake or along its shores to education programs in the classrooms, pre-development work (engineering, planning, and design) on upcoming stormwater projects, reporting on the past season’s activities, grant-writing and fund-raising. Your readers might be interested in the “Salmon in the Classroom” program that we are bringing to the Ticonderoga and Whitehall Central Schools. Perhaps they want to see the recently published results of the 2011 Lake Steward program. They may even want to hear about our recent work with the Lake George Elementary School. Our facebook page and website have the latest news.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t ask how our readers can do something to help you?

I gather that most if not all of your readers are Lake George people, whether they live on or near the Lake or just visit. I’m sure that they love the Lake and want to protect it from all the threats that are out there. That’s what the LGA does, and we can’t do it without the help of our members. The LGA is the only membership organization protecting the Lake. Our members have been actively doing that since 1885. That’s a great legacy and one that everyone on the Lake should want to be part of. Your readers can join us through our website at www.lakegeorgeassociation.org.

What role do volunteers play in your efforts?

We have formal and informal volunteer opportunities here at the LGA. We are in the ninth year of our “citizen science” lake monitoring program through which volunteers commit to take water samples and collect water quality data. Our data is combined with data from other New York State lakes as part of the Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Program (CSLAP). We have limited volunteer slots open for that program, but it is one way we involve volunteers. We also organize stream clean-up events, and trash removal after Log Bay Day or on the ice (when there is any.) We have involved volunteers on mailing projects and other office work, as well. And we always need volunteers for fund-raising events and activities. Our governing Board of Directors are also volunteers. Perhaps one of the best ways for people to volunteer is on one of our committees.

Thanks Walt for your time and for all you do for the “Queen of America’s Lakes.”

George, I’m very pleased to have this opportunity. I enjoy reading your blog. It’s very informative and well done. Keep up the great work!