New York State Supreme Court Justice Robert J. Muller has issued a preliminary injunction on the Lake George Park Commission’s planned use of the chemical herbicide ProcellaCOR in an effort to control Eurasian watermilfoil. The injunction was requested by the Lake George Association, Waterkeeper and fellow petitioners the Town of Hague and Lake George property owner Helena G. Rice. In his decision, Judge Muller noted the “high degree” of public interest in the case, including the large number of concerned citizens who attended last week’s court hearing.
DEC Statewide Forest Ranger Highlights
Town of Bolton
Warren County
Wilderness Rescue: On May 19 at 2:30 p.m., Forest Rangers Kabrehl and Morehouse responded by boat to a report of an injured hiker on First Peak in the Tongue Mountain Range, not far from Northwest Bay. Rangers reached the hikers by 4:30 p.m., and determined the 55-year-old from Tupper Lake couldn’t put any weight on his knee. Five Rangers helped carry the hiker to the boat. The group reached Green Island by 7:48 p.m., and the hiker sought further medical attention on his own.
Hiker rescued in Bolton
Hiker rescued in Bolton
Town of Fort Ann
Washington County
Wilderness Rescue: On May 18 at 12:47 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch requested Forest Ranger assistance after two hikers called for help advising they were dehydrated and lacked energy as they were summitting Buck Mountain. Forest Ranger St. Claire responded and reached the pair, who were in good condition, by 3:17 p.m. Ranger St. Claire walked the hikers down and out of the woods to safety by approximately 5 p.m.
Come Back to Huletts
This picture, taken the morning of Wednesday, May 11th, shows how calm the lake was. Spring is starting to heat up, Huletts is waiting for you.
LGPC Approves ProcellaCOR
The Lake George Park Commission voted today by a margin of 6-2, to use the chemical, ProcellaCOR, on two sites in Lake George this spring as a test for managing Eurasian watermilfoil.
April Showers Bring May Flowers
It has been cold and rainy lately.
LGPC’s ProcellaCOR Test Advances Past APA
On April 14th, the Adirondack Park Agency, approved a proposal by the Lake George Park Commission, to use the chemical, ProcellaCOR, on two sites in the lake as a test of managing Eurasian watermilfoil.
The Lake George Park Commission will take up the matter at it’s Tuesday, April 26, 2022 meeting. Please address any comments or concerns to the Lake George Park Commission by Tuesday’s meeting.
DEC Statewide Forest Ranger Highlights
Town of Bolton
Warren County
Wilderness Rescue: On April 10 at 8:15 p.m., Warren County 911 requested Forest Ranger assistance regarding a group hiking Cat and Thomas mountains. One of the members got separated and called for help. Ranger Kabrehl responded to the coordinates provided by 911 and located the subject approximately one-half mile from the Edgecomb Pond trailhead. Ranger Kabrehl assisted the 18-year-old from the Bronx to the trailhead where the subject was taken by ambulance to the hospital. Resources were clear at 11:30 p.m.
Swift water rescue training.
Hamlet of North River
Warren County
Swift Water Training: On April 8, Forest Rangers from Region 5 took advantage of seasonally high waters on the Hudson River to train for emergency swift water rescues. Rangers used an inflatable rescue boat to perform whitewater maneuvers including ferry angles, j-turns, and upriver/downriver travel. These training exercises help Rangers perform at advanced levels when responding to incidents in difficult conditions.
LGPC Public Information Session – ProcellaCOR
The Lake George Park Commission will be holding a public information session via teleconference on Friday, April 15th at 3pm regarding its proposal to undertake a demonstration Eurasian watermilfoil control project using the aquatic herbicide ProcellaCOR.
The Commission is the NYS agency charged with the long-term protection of Lake George, including management of invasive species. ProcellaCOR is a federal and state approved next-generation aquatic herbicide that has been tremendously successful at controlling milfoil, with no impacts on public health or the environment. The Commission will have state agency and industry experts providing a presentation on this herbicide, followed by Q&A with members of the public who join theteleconference.
To access Friday’s meeting, at 3pm on April 15th, simply go on the Commission’s website; https://lgpc.ny.gov and click the ProcellaCOR link on the homepage
LGPC Chairman Bruce Young – Rest in Peace
In this photo from 2012, Bruce Young is seen with Lake George in the background.
It is with great sadness that I report that the Chairman of the Lake George Park Commission, Huletts Landing resident, and friend, Bruce Young, has passed away.
Mr. Young was, by far, the longest serving Chairman of the Lake George Park Commission, having been appointed and reappointed by different Governors from different parties to be Chairman. He led the advancement of many protections for Lake George and its users.
Mr. Young’s accomplishments in life are many, but he told me in many conversations I had with him over the years, that being Chairman of the Lake George Park Commission was one of the most important things he did.
He was devoted to Huletts Landing and Lake George in many, many ways. Mr. Young served for many years as a Trustee and Treasurer of the Mountain Grove Memorial church. His grandfather, Harland Foote, was the original builder of the church.
He will always be remembered as a leader in the conservation and protection of Lake George. He will be greatly missed.
When Mr. Young was reappointed for an additional term as Chairman, he told me: “When I look out at this beautiful body of water I realize that my job is to protect it, but while doing so, to always remember that our citizens are part of the Lake George story and that their legitimate rights need equal protection. It may be a quaint phrase, but I believe in maximum use without abuse. I believe that being appointed to three consecutive terms by different governors is evidence that the approach we’re taking is the right one.”
As information develops regarding his services, I will post.
Brush Burn Ban Starts: March 16th
From March 16 through May 14, New York’s annual statewide ban prohibiting brush burning is in effect. Since 2009, DEC has enforced the ban to prevent wildfires and protect communities during heightened conditions for wildfires each spring. Backyard fire pits and campfires less than three feet in height and four feet in length, width, or diameter are allowed. Small cooking fires are allowed, but only charcoal or dry, clean, untreated, or unpainted wood can be burned. People should never leave these or any fires unattended and must extinguish them. Burning garbage or leaves is prohibited year-round. For more information about fire safety and prevention, go to the DEC’s FIREWISE New York website.
LGPC to Pull Lake George Boat Inspectors from Huletts in 2022, Relocate to Lake Champlain Boat Launch
If you thought you read the headline wrong, you didn’t. I received this letter from the Lake George Park Commission, addressed to all Huletts Landing residents late last week.
To make sure I wasn’t reading the letter wrong, I doubled checked with the LGPC and they will no longer site boat inspectors, who check for invasive species on boats trailered into Huletts to be launched in Lake George, in Huletts Landing. Instead they are relocating their Lake George boat inspectors to the South Bay boat launch on Lake Champlain, as you come over the bridge from Whitehall into Dresden.
Today, the LGPC responded:
“You are correct, the Commission will not have a boat inspection station in Hulett’s Landing in 2022. The equipment will be relocated to the NYS DEC South Bay Launch on NY Route 22, just south of County Route 6. The Commission will be installing signs on both the northbound and southbound lanes of Route 22 and on County Route 6, headed to Hulett’s. There will also be signs at the South Bay launch directing boaters to stop for inspection. The Commission website has already been updated with a Google Maps link for boaters to find the South Bay site. The goal is to reduce the number of boaters who make it to Hulett’s without an inspection.”
So if you have guests or renters who are trailering a boat into Huletts for launching into Lake George this summer, please let them know: a.) they will have to get their boat inspected before they come over the mountain into Huletts, or b.) if they arrive after the inspection station has closed, they will have to haul the boat over the mountain again the next day to get it inspected, for invasive species, before it can be launched into Lake George from Huletts.
February Ends with Snow & Cold
The Huletts Casino on Sunday, February 27th. (Click picture to see larger version.)
The month of February ended in Huletts with both cold temperatures and snow on the ground.
DEC Statewide Forest Ranger Highlights
Village of Fort Ann
Washington County
Wilderness Recovery: On Jan. 20 at 5:36 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call for Ranger assistance from Washington County 911 after a hiker reported finding a body at the base of Shelving Rock Falls in the Lake George Wild Forest. Forest Rangers Laczko, St. Claire, Savarie, Donegan, and Kabrehl responded. At 6:44 p.m., Rangers located the subject approximately one-third of the way up the falls. Using technical rope rescue techniques, Rangers lowered the deceased subject from the ledge in a sled. From the ground, Rangers conducted a low-angle carry up the hill. Once out the woods, the subject was turned over to the county coroner. Resources were clear at 9:12 p.m. New York State Police (NYSP) identified the hiker as 55-year-old Timothy Gillen of Peekskill.
LGLC Awarded $3.76 Million Grant for Land Protection in Putnam
The Clark Hollow Bay property as seen from Lake George. (Click image to see larger version.)
The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) has been awarded $3,762,800 through the New York State Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) program. The grant will be used to purchase the 59.6-acre Clark Hollow Bay property in Putnam.
The property is across Lake George from Silver Bay, adjoining more than 1,000 acres on the northeastern shore that the LGLC helped to protect more than 30 years ago. The land includes 2,530 feet of shoreline and 1,300 feet of streams that feed Lake George, as well as steeply forested slopes that would be highly susceptible to erosion if disturbed. Its protection will result in the prevention of previously-approved development that could impact the public drinking supply.
LGLC Conservation Manager Monica Dore said, “In protecting this property we will be closing the gap in shoreline protection of the northeastern region, a total of more than 3 miles of critical land buffer between the lake and its uplands. In addition, creating a contiguous block of forested land supports a wide range of wildlife.”
The Clark Hollow Bay property is also a documented summer habitat of the timber rattlesnake, which is legally protected as a threatened species in New York State.
According to a survey conducted by William S. Brown, Ph.D., and Jed Merrow on the property in 2012, “Clark Hollow Bay provides habitats for thermoregulation and protection, making the preserve a significant refuge in ensuring survival of the species.”
LGLC Board President Mike O’Reilly said, “We could not be more excited by this grant award, as it’s a huge win for water quality protection, and a final step in completing a 30-plus year endeavor in this part of the north basin. Receiving this grant will allow us to continue our energetic efforts to protect the land that protects the lake. We thank the State of New York for considering the purchase of the Clark Hollow Bay land worthy of support under this grant.”
LGLC Interim Executive Director Jeff Brozyna said, “The Clark Hollow Bay Project is the largest undertaking in LGLC history, with a total cost of $5 million. We will use the momentum from this grant to raise the remaining funds needed to complete the purchase in 2022.”
More than $272 million is being awarded to 179 projects to protect and improve water through the WQIP program, according to an announcement made by New York State Governor Kathy Hochul on December 21. Grants were awarded to projects such as land acquisition, municipal wastewater treatment upgrades, and marine habitat restoration.
Governor Hochul said, “Our state’s economic development goals cannot be achieved without clean water for drinking, recreation, and the overall quality of life New Yorkers expect and deserve. These sustained investments in water quality improve the health of our communities while creating economic opportunity through well paying, long lasting jobs.”