Now is a great time to check for spotted lanternflies (SLF). You may find some adult lanternflies lingering until the first hard frost, as well as their freshly laid egg masses that will overwinter and bring next year’s generation of lanternflies. [Read more…] about Check for Spotted Lanternflies
Invasive Species
Lake George Boat Inspection Program Having Busiest Year Yet
Through September, the Lake George Park Commission’s boat inspectors have surveyed more than 35,000 boaters and vessels, placing 2023 on track to become the inspection program’s busiest year since New York State established it nearly ten years ago.
According to Justin Luyk, who supervises the program, trailered motorboats are the primary vectors for the spread of aquatic invasive species and nearly 500,000 of them are registered in New York State alone. [Read more…] about Lake George Boat Inspection Program Having Busiest Year Yet
Asiatic Bittersweet
My daily walks around my city in fall is dominated by one plant. It is abundant and leafy with red berries and orange or yellow foliage. It seems to fit in perfectly with a Northeast autumn in its color and exuberance. Despite its festive appearance however, this plant – Celastrus orbiculatus, more commonly known as Asiatic bittersweet – is an exotic invasive that has wreaked havoc in both urban and forested environments. [Read more…] about Asiatic Bittersweet
Boot Brushes Spreading At Adirondack Hiking Trails So Invasive Species Won’t
Staff at the Ausable River Association (AsRA) have been building and installing hiking boot brush stations at trailheads in the Adirondacks to help keep terrestrial invasive species from spreading.
The new initiative builds on AsRA’s ongoing effort of preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species through placement of wader wash stations along the river during fishing season. [Read more…] about Boot Brushes Spreading At Adirondack Hiking Trails So Invasive Species Won’t
Adirondack Road Salt Report Issued: Some Data & Recommendations
New York State’s Adirondack Road Salt Reduction Task Force, established by the Randy Preston Road Salt Reduction Act in 2020, has been released. The Task Force was charged with conducting a comprehensive review of road salt contamination and roadway, parking lot, driveway, and sidewalk management best practices within the Adirondack Park, and making recommendations for enhancements. [Read more…] about Adirondack Road Salt Report Issued: Some Data & Recommendations
$600,000 in Mohawk River Watershed Grants Awarded
$600,000 in grants have been awarded by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to implement the goals and objectives of the Mohawk River Basin Action Agenda 2021-2026. The Action Agenda is a five-year plan advancing efforts to conserve, preserve, and restore the Mohawk River and its watershed and the grants will support local partnerships and initiatives throughout the region. [Read more…] about $600,000 in Mohawk River Watershed Grants Awarded
Emerald Ash Borer Spreading Throughout Lake George Watershed
Within the past six years, three new nonnative terrestrial pests have emerged to threaten the forests of the Lake George watershed. Among them: emerald ash borer, which was first detected in Warren County in 2020, at the bridge that crosses the Schroon River near Chestertown. That discovery was the first indication that this species might have established itself in the Adirondack Park. [Read more…] about Emerald Ash Borer Spreading Throughout Lake George Watershed
$3 Million in Grants Available for Invasive Species Projects
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced that $3 million is available in the third round of the State’s Invasive Species Grant Program (ISGP). This grant program, supported by the State Environmental Protection Fund (EPF), is designed to advance projects that target both aquatic and terrestrial invasive species across the state, with six funding categories that address invasive species spread prevention; early detection and rapid response; research; management planning; and education and outreach. DEC is accepting applications for these grants through November 1, 2023. [Read more…] about $3 Million in Grants Available for Invasive Species Projects
Climate Change & Lake Champlain’s Underwater History
Lake Champlain Maritime Museum is dedicated to inspiring people to make personal connections to Lake Champlain through our region’s history, ecology, and archeology.
For the Museum’s archaeology team, this work of making connections includes conducting ongoing archeological research, on land and underwater; caring for our collection of artifacts and research; and managing Lake Champlain’s underwater cultural resources and the Lake Champlain Underwater Historic Preserves, a unique system of shipwrecks in the lake open for divers to explore each May–October.
The flooding and ongoing climate change are threats to our work, Lake Champlain, and the lake’s shipwrecks and other underwater cultural resources. [Read more…] about Climate Change & Lake Champlain’s Underwater History
Invasive Beech Tree Killer Found Near Lake George
Beech Leaf Disease, detected at the western edge of the Adirondack Park in 2022, has spread to the Lake George watershed. Forest Health technicians from the Department of Environmental Conservation discovered a Beech Leaf Disease infestation along a trail on Bolton’s Edgecomb Pond property in late July, Bolton Supervisor Ron Conover said. The technicians were surveying the Cat and Thomas Mountains section of the Adirondack Forest Preserve, a DEC official told Conover. [Read more…] about Invasive Beech Tree Killer Found Near Lake George