Tag Archive for "Aquatic Invasive Species"

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ADIRONDACKS —The Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP) and its partners have charted a course for the next five years. The “Adirondack Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) Strategic Plan 2023–2027” outlines how APIPP and its partners will minimize the impact of invasive species on the Adirondack region’s communities, lands and waters.

“The 2023-2027 Strategic Plan highlights some of the innovative ways PRISM partners build knowledgeable and engaged Adirondack communities that are empowered to act,” said Peg Olsen, Adirondack Chapter Director of The Nature Conservancy. “The Nature Conservancy and APIPP share a vision for an Adirondack region where the diversity of life thrives, and our lands and waters are protected for future generations. As the climate continues to change and exacerbate the spread and impact of invasive species, APIPP’s foundational work as a leader in invasive species prevention, eradication and management, and as a convener of more than 30 diverse regional partners, is even more vital.”

Sunday, August 21, 2022

It’s debatable: Keeping out the round goby

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Editor’s note: This first appeared in Adirondack Explorer’s March/April 2022 issue, in its ongoing “It’s Debatable” column. Click here to subscribe. The topic: The invasive round goby fish.

Q: How can we block invasives from Champlain Canal?

Thursday, August 18, 2022

Lake George Association to host Aquatic Invasive Species Monitoring event Aug. 19-21

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All are encouraged to gain hands-on experience monitoring aquatic invasive species of the Adirondacks during a Lake George Association (LGA)-sponsored Citizen Scientist event this weekend, August 19-21. The event tasks residents with monitoring a specific area of Lake George for a few invasive plants and shellfish. The monitoring can be done by swim, snorkel, kayak, boat, etc.

Participants will survey a section of shoreline for aquatic invaders, primarily non-native plants as well as mussels, snails, and fish. Citizen scientists can complete the survey of their areas at any time during the three days of the monitoring event. The Lake George Association will offer a training session before the event to help participants navigate their Survey123 reporting app and also assist with species identification while on the water.

LGA staff will be stationed at various areas on the lake on Friday morning from 8 a.m. to noon for participants to report to with data or questions. Aquatic invasive species monitoring in the lake is vital for early detection of new invaders, such as hydrilla, that may pass by the inspection station and boat launch stewards.

For more information or to register, please click here.

To learn more about the Lake George Association, please visit: https://lakegeorgeassociation.org/

Photo at top: Lake George Association website photo.

Monday, July 11, 2022

Boaters required to obtain certification before launching motorized watercraft in ADK waterways

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PAUL SMITHS – A New York State Department of Environmental Conservation law was recently enacted that requires boaters operating any kind of motorized watercraft in the Adirondack Park and within ten miles of the Park’s boundary to obtain and possess a certification that confirms their motorboat is free of harmful aquatic invasive species.

The new measure to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species went into effect in June 2022 and is meant to complement the existing Adirondack Aquatic Invasive Species Spread Prevention Program operated by the Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute.

The public can learn more about this regulation via a new informational video and fact sheet, and can find locations around the region to get a courtesy inspection and a free boat wash at adkwatershed.org/clean-drain-dry.

The mission of the Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute is to protect clean water, conserve habitat and support the health and well-being of the people in the Adirondacks through science, collaboration, and real-world experiences for students.

Photo at top: The easiest way for the public to ensure their boat meets the “Clean, Drain, Dry, Certify” standard is to visit a Watercraft Inspection Steward at a boat decontamination station. There are several located across the Adirondack region and a boat wash is free. Photo credit: Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute. Photo provided by Zoë Smith, Deputy Director of the Adirondack Watershed Institute.

Monday, May 30, 2022

Help sought to protect Oswegatchie River from invasive water chestnut

by Melissa Hart

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St. Lawrence County– Volunteers are needed to assist a removal effort of water chestnut on the Oswegatchie River near the dam, in the Village of Heuvelton.

The removal effort is scheduled for Saturday, June 25th, 2022. Food will be provided by the Village of Heuvelton Fire Department to those who assist the effort. This is a great opportunity for community members to spend some time on the water, and help protect the Oswegatchie River.

Monday, April 18, 2022

Town of Hague opposes use of milfoil herbicide in Lake George

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The Lake George Park Commission (LGPC) applied for and was granted on April 14 a permit from the Adirondack Park Agency (APA) to put the herbicide ProcellaCOR into Lake George at two pilot sites: Blair’s Bay in Glen Burnie and Sheep Meadow Bay in Hulett’s Landing. Although both sites are located on the east side of the lake, they are part of the Town of Hague, whose boundaries extend to the eastern shoreline.

Saturday, April 16, 2022

Discussion time: Best ways to treat milfoil

by Melissa Hart

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A debate has heated up in Lake George around the best ways to treat the invasive aquatic plant Eurasian watermilfoil.

Despite objections from several stakeholder groups, the Adirondack Park Agency on Thursday approved a controversial plan to apply an herbicide to two infestations of invasive milfoil in two bays on the east side of Lake George.

Click here to read more.

What are your thoughts about this plan? Are you for or against it?

Almanack file photo

Thursday, February 17, 2022

Calling on New York State Leaders to Protect Lake Champlain from Invasive Species

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By Peg Olsen

Here in the Adirondack region, we know how special Lake Champlain is. It provides year-round recreational opportunities for residents and visitors alike and drives our local economies. It hosts some of the best fishing in the nation and is home to an abundance of wildlife. Lake Champlain provides so much to our communities, and now we need the state to step up and protect it.

Invasive species outcompete native wildlife and cause severe harm to our ecosystems and our economies. Their proliferation can lead to the extinction of native plants and animals and threaten our way of life.

Lake Champlain is facing that threat now, with the looming introduction of invasive round goby. Round goby is a small fish species native to southeastern Europe that arrived in the Great Lakes 31 years ago in a ship’s untreated ballast water. Round gobies aggressively outcompete native fish for habitat and feed on their eggs and young, harming native fisheries and local businesses.

Wednesday, December 1, 2021

Invasives roundup

by Zachary Matson

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The late fall and early winter is a time of winding down in the Adirondacks, and that’s the case for the many programs combating invasive species across the park.

Earlier this month a group of around 40 representatives from government, nonprofits and local associations and private individuals hopped on a Zoom meeting to rehash a season of anti-invasive programs. This gathering of the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program — a multi-agency/public-private partnership that coordinates parkwide efforts to combat invasive plant species — was a helpful briefing on the latest in Adirondacks invasives.

Wednesday, September 1, 2021

Unfinished business

by Brandon Loomis

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Sometimes in the environmental protection field there’s a celebration of achievements before they’re fully realized. Case in point: We recently reported that a state road salt task force that was celebrated as a potential win for Adirondack water quality was not actually a done deal, as the governor has yet to appoint its members.

When the governor announced his resignation, another such premature victory came to light: The state’s new boat inspection law to prevent movement of invasive species in the park’s waters still awaits a governor’s signature. We reported on that law’s passage months ago, but technically, it’s not reality yet.

Environmental groups are hopeful that incoming Gov. Kathy Hochul will finish the job. The Adirondack Council’s Willie Janeway said this about it in a news release: “Many of the state’s functions inside the Adirondack Park have ground to a halt as the executive branch of government succumbed to administrative paralysis while the current Governor attempted to defend his actions. As Kathy Hochul becomes governor, the entire state will have an opportunity to heal and make progress again.”

It’s important work, as is the road salt study, septic and sewage management and proposed new surveys of park lakes’ changing ecology. We’ll see how the new governor approaches these problems.

Editor’s note: This first appeared in the Explorer’s weekly “Water Line” newsletter. Click here to sign up.

Photo courtesy of Adirondack Watershed Institute

Sunday, July 11, 2021

It’s Debatable: Should New York enforce boat inspections?

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Editor’s note: This “It’s Debatable” column is running in the July/August 2021 issue of Adirondack Explorer magazine. Click here to subscribe. This issue’s debaters don’t fit neatly into the Explorer’s usual yes/no format, as both support inspections of some kind. We’ve attempted to frame the question in a way to reflect their nuanced views.

The question: Should New York enforce boat inspections?

Saturday, July 3, 2021

The Lake George Association Floating Classroom is Coming July 15th

The Lake George Association’s Floating Classroom will be in Sandy Bay to support the Lake Stewardship Group of Cleverdale Asian Clam Day on Thursday, July 15. Asian Clam Day is a hands-on educational and awareness event for residents and visitors.

Monday, June 28, 2021

Become a lake protector through Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program

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Aquatic invasive species, such as Eurasian watermilfoil and zebra mussels, can clog lakes, outcompete native wildlife, and harm ecosystems. Identifying these species early, before populations grow out of control, is essential for protecting the lakes we love from the negative impacts of invasive species. The state legislature recently passed a law that makes the New York State Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Act permanent and allows pilot programs in the Adirondacks to further efforts to prevent invasive species. You can do your part by always cleaning, draining and drying your boat, fishing gear and sports equipment when moving from one waterbody to another.

And as an Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP) Lake Protector, you can do more! Citizen scientists have surveyed over 400 lakes throughout the Adirondacks for invasives species in order to support critical early detection efforts. Lake Protector volunteers will learn how to identify, survey and record data about aquatic invasive plants. Once trained, volunteers can adopt an Adirondack lake or other waterbody to survey between July and September. APIPP provides all the training and resources you need to be part of this extraordinary network.

Sunday, June 6, 2021

Discussion time: Boat inspections

by Melissa Hart

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This week is NYS’s 8th annual Invasive Species Awareness Week and we’ve got aquatic invasives on our mind. In light of the current law expiring, here’s an excerpt from Explorer reporter Gwen Craig’s recent story:

“The old law in question requires boaters recreating in the Adirondack Park to take reasonable precautions against spreading aquatic invasive species like Eurasian watermilfoil and zebra mussels. Boats should be cleaned, drained and dried to prevent spreading any unwanted hitchhikers. The Adirondack Park is home to more than 3,000 lakes, 8,000 ponds and 1,500 miles of rivers. With more than 12 million visitors each year, the threat of a new invasive species introduction is always looming.”

What are your thoughts about best ways to keep our waterways safe from invasives? Should the state require — and enforce — boat inspections? Or is the current system working well enough?

Photo provided, Connor Vara/Adirondack Watershed Institute. AWI stewards recently finished a 2-week training at Paul Smith’s College to learn techniques for implementing Clean, Drain and Dry at area boat launches.

Friday, May 28, 2021

Adirondack boat inspection, decontamination stations open this weekend

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Stewards are ready for another busy Adirondack boating season

Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute (AWI) is offering free boat inspections and decontaminations starting on Memorial Day weekend at more than 60 boat launches and road-side locations across the Adirondack region to help the public stop the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS).

AWI staff educate boaters, anglers and other visitors about aquatic invasive species and inspect and decontaminate their boats to meet the Clean, Drain, and Dry standard required by New York State.