Membership and Donations UpdateThank you to everyone who responded to our annual campaign! We've had 133 paid memberships so far in 2022. At 2021 year-end we had 206 members, so we still need to round up at least 70 or so members who paid last year but haven't committed yet this year. Many of those appear to be people we have had to reach by regular mail in the past. You can save the association the mail expense by clicking HERE and making your contribution on our secure website with a credit card. Or you can mail it to PO Box 45, Severance, NY 12872. On the revenue side, thanks to some very generous contributors, we've received $28,200, which exceeds what we took in all of last year by $1,700. To support our ambitious invasives plan we set a 2022 goal of $34,500, which is very achievable, but we need all of last year's members to come back. Please double check now to see if you intended to contribute but forgot. We need everyone's contribution to protect our lake! Members: please Act Now to support our fight against Eurasian Water Milfoil (EWM)!We’ve mentioned in past communications that a key impediment to executing our EWM reduction plan is the current version of an Interagency agreement between the Adirondack Park Agency (APA) and NY Department of Environmental Conservation (NYDEC) which has historically limited the use of herbicides in waters abutting state land. The good news is that the APA and DEC have worked through the revision to the agreement to allow herbicides to be considered for invasives mitigation plans and the APA has now opened a one-month period for public comments on the proposed revision. With the proposed changes, all lakes, regardless of whether state land borders the lake or not, will have access to the same tools to fight aquatic invasives like EWM. The potential use of herbicides will still be controlled by a strict permit process managed by the NYDEC, but now it will not be specifically prohibited for the lakes that border state land. We have been following the revisions closely for some time and are pleased that the revisions are close to final approval. If you would like to read more about it, here is an excellent article: https://www.adirondackexplorer.org/stories/public-comments-invasive-species-management. As part of their review process, the APA has opened a public comment period, now through July 11th. It is important that our members contribute favorable comments to the APA so the APA understands that the proposed changes are very important to us and our lake, and are considered to be positive. To make it convenient for you, following below is some suggested text that you can use to create your comments. Certainly you should feel free to make revisions to the text to fit your particular personal situation. You can submit your comments in two ways: Regular mail to: Megan Phillips, Deputy Director for Planning, NYS Adirondack Park Agency, PO Box 99, Ray Brook, NY 12977 Email to: SLMP_UMP_Comments@apa.ny.gov.
Please take a few minutes now to submit your comments, and have your spouse/partner do it also. Suggested text: I am writing to express my support for the revisions to "Inter-Agency Guidelines for Implementing Best Management Practices to Control Invasive Species on DEC-Administered Lands of the Adirondack Park." As a property owner/user/visitor of Paradox Lake, I have observed the efforts that have been undertaken for several years to attempt to control aquatic invasives on the lake, with limited success. Countless volunteer hours by members of The Paradox Lake Association along with increased harvesting by a paid professional contractor have not been able to bring our situation under control. I am concerned about property values, as well as a potential decline in tax revenue that vacation visitors bring to our area if our lake becomes less desirable due to out of control aquatic invasives. It is critical that we have all of the latest tools available to carry on the fight, and that is what the revisions to the guidelines will provide. I look forward to seeing quick approval by the APA board, and thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Your Name. New Lake StewardsAt this time, the Adirondack Watershed Institute is once again providing lake stewards to cover the Paradox Lake boat launch. Vickye and Montana are inspecting incoming boats for aquatic invasive species and educating boaters about the impacts of these invasives. If you go to the boat launch, please say hello to them and thank them for their work to protect our lake.
|
