Municipalities, businesses and not-for-profit organizations interested in learning how to keep roads, driveways and parking areas safe this winter while reducing the cost and environmental consequences of road salt use are invited to attend the 2021 Adirondack Champlain Regional Salt Summit, Thursday, Oct. 14, from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Fort William Henry Hotel and Conference Center in Lake George. Online attendance will also be available for those unable to travel to the Summit. Registration is free for all attendees.

This year’s Summit will be the 6th annual gathering focused on best practices for reducing road salt use, and will feature progress on road salt reduction in the Lake George region. It is presented by the Lake George Association, which spearheads the Lake George Road Salt Reduction Initiative, and Lake Champlain Sea Grant. The agenda will include:

•  demonstrations of the latest technologies and techniques for safe and effective road salt reduction;
• the latest science and success stories from the Lake George Road Salt Reduction Initiative, New York State DOT, and the Adirondack/Champlain Regional Initiatives;
• a progress report on the University of Vermont’s successful Salt Reduction Task Force and the potential application of its strategies to private winter management contractors and businesses;
• a special keynote lunch presentation on New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation program that provides liability protections to certified winter management businesses, followed by a panel discussion on liability in New York and Vermont.

“This sixth edition of the annual Salt Summit provides an ideal opportunity for public- and private-sector road maintenance crews, municipal officials, contractors, and business owners to learn the most effective ways to minimize snow and ice buildup while also minimizing their use of road salt, reducing costs and protecting water supplies,” said Lake George Waterkeeper Chris Navitsky, who coordinates the Summit as a staff member of the LGA. “The level of expertise we bring together covers all parts of the road salt reduction equation, from science to solutions.”

“The success of these regional initiatives in New York and Vermont provide demonstrable proof that safe and effective salt-reduction can be accomplished for the good of the environment and our wallets,” said Kris Stepenuck, PhD, extension program leader for Lake Champlain Sea Grant and extension associate professor of watershed science, policy and education in the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont. “Both Lake Champlain Sea Grant and UVM are pleased to be part of this Summit and to share the success stories taking place in our region.”

“This year’s Salt Summit continues the LGA’s longstanding leadership in addressing one of the defining water quality threats of our time, road salt pollution,” said LGA President Eric Siy. “We are proud to lead the way in reducing this threat on Lake George, and in showing others the way to effective road salt reduction in their regions.”

The Leading Edge Sponsor for this year’s Summit is Innovative Surface Solutions, a company specializing in effective, environmentally safer solutions for road safety and maintenance, industrial applications and agriculture.

Registration for the Salt Summit is free at LakeGeorgeAssociation.org/Salt-Summit-2021. In person registration includes a bag lunch and live technology demonstrations. Masks will be required for all attendees, regardless of vaccination status, and seating will be socially distanced. Online attendees will have the opportunity to view all live indoor presentations, as well as pre-recorded technology demonstrations. For more information, please call the LGA at (518) 668-5913, ext. 301.