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Welcome March

I imagine that most of us are extremely happy to see the arrival of the month of March. Most of the winter in Huletts was truly brutal. The temperatures are still very low and the lake is frozen but thank God that the bitter cold and snow are no match for mother nature determined to burst into spring.

March is usually a month when people start to return to Huletts and begin to finalize their plans for the upcoming summer. I’ve heard from people all over the country who all are looking forward to returning for another year. The one thing that people bring up again and again, is that Huletts is a refuge from all the craziness that is going on in the world. It has a timeless quality about it that even when things change, it stays relatively the same.

I am reminded that it was in in 1976, fifty years ago, that the United States celebrated our 200th anniversary as a nation. Now in 2026, we will celebrate our 250th anniversary, reestablishing what the fight for liberty and freedom is all about.

Spring will arrive soon and the buds will begin to blossom. The cold air will lessen, warmth will return, and the ice on the lake will melt. We have a few more weeks until the official start of spring, but it’s getting close. My mantra the next few weeks is going to be; “we will make it.” As Dolly Parton once said; “the way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.” Only a few more weeks of cold, and spring will be here. I hope everyone has a great month and that before we know it, it is nice and warm.

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NY State Senator Stec: NYSERDA Memo Should Mean the End of CLCPA

A memo produced by the New York state Energy Research and Development Agency (NYSERDA) regarding the exploding costs associated with the state’s 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) outlines what those costs could be:

“Absent changes, by 2031, the impact of CLCPA on the price of gasoline could reach or exceed $2.23 per gallon on top of current prices at that time; the cost for an MMBtu of natural gas $16.96; and comparable increases to other fuels. Upstate oil and natural gas households would see costs in excess of $4,000 a year, and New York City natural gas households could anticipate annual gross costs of $2,300. Only a portion of these costs could be offset by current policy design.”

Senator Dan Stec (R,C-Queensbury) issued the following statement concerning the leaked NYSERDA memo outlining the exorbitant implementation costs of the CLCPA:

“The leaked memo from Governor Hochul’s handpicked head of NYSERDA is a bombshell and a scathing indictment of the CLCPA.

“Because of it, Upstate New Yorkers can expect their energy costs to rise an average of $4,000 per household and gas prices can rise to over $5 a gallon as a direct result of these green energy policies. These numbers, which come directly from NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris, highlights the reality of what my Senate Republican Conference colleagues and I have been saying for years: The CLCPA is going to drive up costs and crush our families and small businesses.

“What’s even worse is that in a recent City & State article, Senate Democrats made it clear that they have no intentions of making any changes to the unaffordable and unfeasible CLCPA in the upcoming budget.

“At a time when, according to a recent Marist poll, one-in-three New Yorkers plan to move out of the state due to the escalating cost of living, perhaps my colleagues on the other side of the aisle should reconsider their position and put an end to the failing CLCPA mandates.”

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Final Engineers Report for Sewer District # 1 Released

During the summer of 2023, an engineer’s study was conducted on the overall health and status of Sewer District #1 in Huletts Landing.

I can now report that the final report has been concluded and released to the public.

The report is quite long and the file is large but it can be accessed on the Town’s website here.

Because the study was funded by the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation and the Department of Conservation with a NYS Engineering Planning Grant, items identified may be open for further funding.

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DEC Releases Lake George Fisheries Management Plan

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced the release of a five-year (2025–2029) Fisheries Management Plan for Lake George, Warren County. With this plan in place, DEC will focus on collecting data primarily on lake trout, Atlantic salmon, and black bass to inform a subsequent long-term fisheries management plan. DEC will also implement a net pen release strategy to improve recruitment of Atlantic salmon to the fishery and help determine the fate of the existing Atlantic salmon stocking program.?

“DEC is proud to continue our decades-long commitment of responsible fisheries management in Lake George through this five-year, data-driven management plan,” DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton said. “Informed by angler survey data and DEC biologists’ research and observations, DEC will engage in data collection and population assessments for key species in the ‘Queen of American Lakes’ to develop a long-term plan focused on the health of these species and of Lake George.?DEC is grateful to the public for participating in the revealing 2023 angler creel surveys and for members of the Lake George fishing community for bringing DEC their concerns.”

Using the management plan, DEC will expand data collection to include tracking the population of the long-stocked Atlantic salmon, assessing status and overall health of adult lake trout, and monitoring the black bass population. This new plan will address gaps in the data to inform a subsequent, long-term fisheries management plan to better manage and improve the populations of these species.

In 2023, DEC conducted an angler creel survey that reported both recreational and professional anglers seeking Atlantic salmon or lake trout had concerns with the rate and size of their catches. These data indicate overall poorer health in the lake trout population despite strict harvest regulations. Over the upcoming years, DEC will collect more information on the trout population to determine future management actions to increase the quality of the lake trout in the fishery.?

DEC determined that existing Atlantic salmon stocking?is failing to create a viable, sustainable fishery for this sought-after species based on data from the?2023 angler creel survey and the overall poor survival rate of stocked Atlantic salmon. DEC will employ a net pen release strategy, which protects hatchery-raised yearling salmon within the safety of a net as they acclimate to their new waters.?DEC will also implement a standardized sampling protocol to assess the ongoing health of black bass in Lake George.

“The Lake George Fisheries Management Plan supports stellar recreational fishing access to public lands and waters while prioritizing the overall health of the ecosystem,” said DEC Region 5 Director Joe Zalewski. “DEC management promotes a healthier Lake George and fosters diverse angling opportunities for both local and visiting anglers. Through this plan, DEC fisheries biologists will better understand the fish community within Lake George to provide outstanding angling as visitors to the fishery have come to expect.”

Lake George remains one of the Adirondack’s cleanest lakes and has long been a popular tourist destination, attracting anglers from around the world to the region. The Lake George Fisheries Management Plan is just one way that DEC’s investments in habitat enhancement, angler enjoyment, and research will help continue to protect Adirondack fisheries. DEC recently announced a Final Adirondack Brook Trout Pond Management Plan to guide future species management and, in 2025, DEC announced a $100 million investment from the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act and other capital funds for State hatchery improvements, including enhancements at the Adirondack Fish Hatchery that will help construct a new brook trout broodstock building.

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The Chapel in Winter

A picture of the Huletts Landing Chapel of the Assumption from Friday, February 6, 2026. There is still a good amount of snow on the ground in Huletts. (Click image to see larger view.)

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Lake George Land Conservancy Purchases 160 Acres in Dresden


A photo of the stream protected as part of the “Spruce Mountain Addition” acquisition. (Click image to see larger image.)

The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) purchased 160 acres near Huletts Landing in the Town of Dresden on January 29. The “Spruce Mountain Addition” has more than 1,100 feet of stream corridor within the Lake George watershed, including the headwaters of a tributary that flows into Lake George.

The mostly forested property adjoins the 488-acre Spruce Mountain, protected by the LGLC 1996 and currently owned by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. This land, in turn, shares a boundary with the LGLC’s Leeming Jelliffe Preserve close to the lake’s shoreline in Huletts Landing. Together, this connected stretch of land provides critical habitat for a variety of wildlife, including the timber rattlesnake, a threatened species in New York State.

LGLC Executive Director Mike Horn said, “In addition to safeguarding the water quality of Lake George, this region of the watershed provides important resources for wildlife. By connecting parcels together, we are expanding the safe areas through which wildlife can roam and thrive.”

“I want to thank the landowners,” Horn continued, “for working with the LGLC to permanently protect this land, ensuring that the forests and streams will forever remain wild, protecting everything we love about Lake George and this whole region.”

The LGLC will develop a management plan to address past disturbances and improve forest health. At this time, the Spruce Mountain Addition does not have public access for recreation.

A map of the area can be seen here.

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Saturday Quote

“Consider your origin. You were not formed to live like brutes but to follow virtue and knowledge.”

Dante Alighieri
The Divine Comedy: The Inferno, the Purgatorio and the Paradiso

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We Need to Talk About Energy

With prices of electricity and energy exploding in New York, I am going to start spending some time highlighting energy issues.

The first video below is U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright giving an outline of energy production in three-minutes. I especially liked this part: “Germany invested half a trillion (in renewables) and now produce 20% less electricity at 3 times the price,” Wright noted.

He succinctly explains that businesses and industry flee when our energy policy is so misguided.

The next video is of our State Senator, Dan Stec (R,C-Queensbury) at yesterday’s joint Legislative Environmental Conservation and Energy Budget Hearing. Senator Stec engaged in a discussion with NYSERDA President Doreen Harris and PSC Commissioner Rory Christian over the energy policies as laid out in Governor Hochul’s 2027 Executive Budget proposal.

In his discussion with President Harris, Stec questioned her about the financial impact and stability of our energy grid due to the CLCPA mandates. PSC Commissioner Christian and Stec engaged in a discussion over the reasons New York’s energy taxes and rates are considerably higher than in neighboring states. With ratepayers in the North Country and statewide currently facing some of the highest costs in the nation, this was Stec’s opportunity to hold the state’s energy policymakers accountable.

Senator Stec highlights the shockingly high number of New Yorkers who are behind in their electricity payments.

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New Plants Brighten Inside of Post Office

While the snowstorm pummels the east coast today, I’m sure everyone remembers the iconic, though unofficial, U.S. Postal Service (USPS) saying, “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”

We are blessed to have wonderful postal service workers in Huletts keeping our post office functioning year-round. On Saturday, Emily sent me this photo of the new plants she just added to the lobby of the Huletts post office. This goes above and beyond her normal exceptional service, so a special shout-out to Emily for brightening the lobby of the post office with some bright colors during this long cold winter.

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The Calm Before the Storm

A picture of the Huletts Landing Post office from Thursday January 22, 2026. While the east coast is hunkering down for a major snow storm, there is not a lot of snow presently on the ground in Huletts. That should change this upcoming weekend.

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NY State Senator Stec on Executive Budget: How Does a $260 Billion Budget Make New York More Affordable?

Senator Dan Stec (R,C-Queensbury) today gave the following statement following Governor Hochul’s Executive Budget proposal:

“Governor Hochul started the year by announcing that affordability would be the defining term of her agenda this year. With this year’s Executive Budget proposal, the governor has shown how unserious she is about making our state more affordable.

“This year’s plan is $260 billion – $6 billion more than last year. New York State headed into the new fiscal year with a projected $4.2 billion deficit. Even with increased revenue projections, this exorbitant spending doesn’t make sense and frankly, it doesn’t work.

“Governor Hochul’s continued insistence on flouting federal immigration law in order to court support from the radical progressives in New York City puts the state at risk of losing federal funding. If that comes to fruition, New York State would face financial collapse. At the very least, cooperating with federal authorities would ensure this needed funding source would continue as-is.

“If the governor wanted to get serious about affordability, this budget proposal would take on the issue I’ve heard about the most from my constituents in recent months: the continually escalating cost of energy. A repeal or delay of the Green New Deal mandates as laid out in the CLCPA and a reduction in the taxes and fees that make up 1/3 of the costs on energy bills is necessary in providing needed relief to all ratepayers.

“The lack of addressing energy costs is a hallmark of everything that’s missing in the Executive Budget proposal. Rather than use this plan to exercise caution, restraint and engage in sound financial planning, Governor Hochul has put forth a budget that doesn’t make it any easier for families, seniors or small businesses to make ends meet. In fact, it just creates an even larger financial burden for all New Yorkers and will only further the outmigration crisis that’s plagued our state for more than a decade.

“I’ve repeatedly noted that you can’t spend your way into affordability. If you could, New York would be the most affordable state in the nation. Instead, it’s the most expensive to state in which to work and live. It’s frustrating that the governor used the Executive Budget proposal to treat affordability as a buzzword instead of an opportunity.”