The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) has been awarded a $40,000 from the New York State Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) and a $10,000 grant from the Alfred Z. Solomon Charitable Trust for a Trail Reconstruction and Enhancement Project at the Schumann Preserve at Pilot Knob in Fort Ann.

In total, more than $123,000 has been raised through grants and individual donors to complete the project, which includes an expanded parking area (completed this summer), the re-routing of the preserve’s trails and the installation of features that will result in less erosion from storm water, and a safer pathway for users. The LGLC has contracted with Tahawus Trails to design and complete the trail work. The Pilot Knob Project also includes the creation and installation of a new kiosk and trail-side educational signage to better promote the land’s ecological and conservation values.

The LGLC’s Pilot Knob Project is one of more than 1,000 projects across the state to receive $755 million in awards through the seventh round of the REDC competition, which was announced by Governor Andrew Cuomo on December 13.

The Capital Region Economic Development Council, whose coverage area includes Lake George, received $85 million supporting 110 projects that support economic growth. The LGLC grant comes through the Recreational Trails Program, administered by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

The grant from the Solomon Charitable Trust will fund the purchase of six educational signage panels and stands, as well as a sustainable kiosk at the head of the trail. This signage is expected to present information to visitors of all ages about the Preserve, the plants and animals present, as well as the role of land conservation in protecting the water quality of Lake George.

In addition to these latest grants, the LGLC also received $40,000 for the Pilot Knob Project from the New York State Smart Growth grants awarded in August, and $33,600 from private donors.

Named in honor of LGLC’s past executive director, Lynn LaMontagne Schumann, who was instrumental in its preservation, the Schumann Preserve at Pilot Knob is a 223-acre preserve on Pilot Knob Road. Protected by the LGLC in 2000, the Preserve now hosts over 4,000 visitors each year, a level that is not considered sustainable with the existing trails.

For more information on the Lake George Land Conservancy, visit their website.

Photo of Pilot Knob gazebo courtesy LGLC.