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Lake George Land Conservancy Awarded $4.15M for Water Quality Protection


This pond in the Town of Bolton will soon be permanently protected by the LGLC with support from the recently announced grants from NYS DEC.

The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) is pleased to announce that it has been awarded grants totaling $4.15 million for land acquisition for source water protection from the Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) grant program administered by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).

The LGLC will use $3.5 million of the grant funds to permanently protect over 700 acres in the Indian Brook sub-watershed region of the Town of Bolton. Maintaining forested buffers around the streams and wetlands of this area will prevent erosion, filter sediment and pollutants from stormwater, and aid with flood resiliency.

The remaining grant funds will be directed toward the purchase of a 73-acre forested property in the Town of Lake George. This property contains 1,545 feet of streams with a healthy vegetated buffer that will further safeguard the water quality of Lake George, a drinking water source, and the surrounding watershed.

LGLC Executive Director Michael Horn said, “We are grateful to New York State and Governor Hochul for supporting our work to protect Lake George by protecting the land around it. By keeping our forests healthy and whole, we’re allowing the land to do what it does best – filter water, reduce pollution, and prevent stormwater issues downstream.

“With these grants we will be able to advance a number of projects over the next few years, but there is still much work to be done, including raising the more than $1 million in required matching funds.”

Land conservation is an efficient, cost-effective tool for protecting water quality. By focusing efforts on the most sensitive wetlands, streams, slopes, and shoreline, it can prevent costly issues that may arise from poorly designed development, non-porous infrastructure, and severe weather events.

These grants are part of a $166 million total announcement by NYS DEC for 187 projects statewide that will help protect drinking water, update aging water infrastructure, combat contributors to harmful algal blooms, and improve aquatic habitat.

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The B.O.A.R Needs You

The Town of Dresden is currently looking to fill positions on the B.O.A.R. (Board of Assessment Review)

Must be at least 18 years of age
Citizen of the United States
Resident of Dresden
Pays $100 for 1 day a year

Please contact Laura Chadwick at dreassessorlc@gmail.com

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Lake George Land Conservancy Receives $86k Grant to Manage Invasive Hemlock Woolly Adelgid on Protected Land in Putnam


An infested hemlock branch showing the woolly masses of hemlock woolly adelgid, found at the LGLC’s protected Clark Hollow Bay Preserve in Putnam.

The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a grant of $86,215 to support the LGLC’s rapid response and management efforts to control the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) on its Clark Hollow Bay Preserve in the Town of Putnam. The LGLC’s Land Steward discovered an infestation of HWA at its recently acquired 60-acre Clark Hollow Bay property in the spring of 2023. This was the first time HWA had been found on LGLC protected property, and is at the northern frontier of the HWA infestation at Lake George and in the Adirondack Park.

Hemlock trees play an important role in the forests where they grow, preventing soil erosion and providing habitat for both terrestrial and aquatic wildlife. Left alone, HWA will kill hemlocks within five to ten years, making early detection critical to effective management.

Hemlocks are a dominant tree species in much of the forest surrounding Lake George, making HWA especially dangerous for the preservation of water quality and health of the whole lake ecosystem.

This summer, LGLC staff identified 108 trees with known HWA infestations on the Clark Hollow Bay Preserve; the actual number of infested trees is estimated to be at least doubled, when taking into account those trees that were inaccessible for evaluation.


Dr. Mark Whitmore of the New York State Hemlock Initiative joined LGLC staff in 2023 to confirm the presence of hemlock woolly adelgid at the Clark Hollow Bay Preserve.

The LGLC’s HWA management plan for the Clark Hollow Bay Preserve includes the use of both biological controls for long-term management, and chemical controls in the short-term. In partnership with the New York State Hemlock Initiative (NYSHI), the LGLC released Laricobius nigrinus beetles on the property in fall of 2023. The beetle is native to the Pacific Northwest and preys exclusively upon HWA. Highly controlled chemical application was also conducted on the property with help from the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP).

The grant will fund three years of additional monitoring and management activity at the Clark Hollow Bay Preserve.

LGLC Executive Director Mike Horn said, “With this funding we are able to combat hemlock woolly adelgid on this important protected property. We are grateful to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, as well as the resources and expertise provided by NYSHI and APIPP, for making this work possible.”

This grant is part of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Invasive Species Grant Program, which provides funding for aquatic and terrestrial invasive species spread prevention, early detection and rapid response, lake management planning, research, and education and outreach.

The Invasive Species Grant Program is supported by the State’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) and administered by the Bureau of Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health in DEC’s Division of Lands and Forests. For more information, please visit DEC’s website.

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Statement From Senator Dan Stec on Governor Hochul’s 2024-25 Executive Budget Presentation

“In the days ahead, I look forward to reading the particulars of Governor Hochul’s budget proposal. But after watching her presentation and an initial reading of the plan, here’s what stands out.

“I was glad to hear the governor acknowledge that our state has a looming budget deficit and that New York has a robust reserve fund, but ultimately this budget plan does nothing to address that impending problem. Proposed spending is $233 billion, a 4.5-percent increase over last year’s record-setting budget. Combined with an acknowledged $6 billion in lost tax receipts due to our state’s ongoing outmigration woes and despite some fuzzy math that shows a budget surplus instead of an anticipated deficit, this is ultimately a costly proposal that does nothing to alleviate New York’s long-term financial difficulties and right the ship going forward.

“The most glaring item in this budget presentation is the $2.4 billion in funding for the migrant crisis. This issue has been handled poorly by the governor, New York City Eric Adams and the current presidential administration and our taxpayers continue to bear the brunt of this. I’m particularly concerned by the fact that $500 million of this is coming from the state’s reserve fund. This is aid that should be going to legal residents and taxpayers, whether that means tax relief to combat rising costs, assist our struggling nursing homes or economic development initiatives.

“New York State needs to address Medicaid spending. During this presentation, the governor acknowledged that the state went more than $1 billion over budget with Medicaid spending in the last fiscal year. While it was good to hear the governor acknowledge the enormous costs associated with our Medicaid system, I did not hear anything in her plan that would substantively address it and lower costs for both state and local governments.

“On a more positive side, I was pleased to see the governor allocate funding for ORDA in Lake Placid, ensuring the facilities there remain world-class. I am also encouraged by the proposal to use state-owned lands and facilities, such as closed correctional facilities, as part of an affordable housing strategy. That development, however, is offset by the fact that her proposal contains language authorizing further correctional facility closures. If this comes to fruition, it could potentially have a detrimental impact on our region.

“Obviously, this presentation is only the beginning of the budget process. In the weeks ahead, I plan on working with my legislative colleagues and the governor to ensure a final budget meets the needs of our taxpayers and charts a responsible fiscal future for New York.”

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From AI: Where Do Local Swallows Go in the Winter?

One of the best things about the spring and summer is to awake to the sounds of birds singing. There are lots of swallows around Huletts in the summer and they should always be left alone because all swallows are state and federally protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.

I’ve always wondered exactly where our swallows “winter homes” are? One great thing about the new artificial intelligence, ChatGPT, is that you can get answers to questions you want to learn more about extremely quickly without doing any searching. So here is what ChatGPT gave me when I asked the question.

Question: Where do barn swallows from upstate New York go in the winter?

ChatGPT answer: “Barn swallows from upstate New York migrate to warmer regions for the winter. These migratory birds typically travel to Central and South America. Specifically, barn swallows are known to winter in countries such as Argentina, Brazil, and other parts of South America.

Migration is a common behavior among barn swallows and many other bird species to avoid harsh winter conditions and ensure a steady supply of food. They return to their breeding grounds in North America, including upstate New York, during the spring and summer months for nesting and raising their young.

The long-distance migration of barn swallows is an impressive feat, and these birds cover thousands of miles during their annual journeys.”

It seems our small swallows travel the farthest in winter!

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Lake George Land Conservancy Receives Donation of Land in South Basin

The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) has been given a donation of 4.4 acres of undeveloped land in the Town of Lake George. This property borders the LGLC’s 12-acre East Brook Preserve and includes more than three acres of wetlands and 600 feet of forested steam corridor that help to naturally protect water quality.

The “East Brook Addition” donation was gifted to the LGLC by Karen Azer and her late mother Helene Horn.

“I am glad the parcel will remain forever wild,” said Karen Azer, “not only benefitting water quality but also protecting habitat for wildlife.”

LGLC Executive Director Mike Horn (no relation to Helene Horn) said, “We are incredibly grateful to Karen and Helene for their generous donation of land for conservation. Their gift creates a legacy that will forever work to protect Lake George.”

In total, the newly expanded East Brook Preserve includes more than 1,100 feet of East Brook, one of the top ten tributaries of Lake George, and is heavily forested with some impressive hemlock, white pine, ash and sugar maples scattered throughout.

The original 12-acre East Brook property was protected in 2018 with a bargain sale from the McPhillips family, who desired to see the land protected. Around the same time, the LGLC helped to protect the 317-acre McPhillips Preserve on neighboring French Mountain, in partnership with the Towns of Lake George and Queensbury. More than 2,000 feet of seasonal streams flow down the steep slopes of the McPhillips Preserve and join with East Brook far below.

Since Lake George flows north, protection of its headwaters in the south, including tributaries like East Brook, is imperative to its overall health. This region of Lake George is also facing intense development pressure, creating all the more urgency for conservation of key areas like streams, shoreline, and sensitive, steep slopes that are susceptible to erosion. For this reason, the LGLC’s South Basin Conservation Initiative focuses on key lands such as the East Brook Addition as important for long-term protection of the lake’s water quality.

To date, the LGLC has protected a total of 2,736 acres within the south basin. In addition to its important water quality protection, these properties provide significant recreational opportunities. The LGLC plans to open a trail on the East Brook Preserve which will include educational signage. Once completed, this trail will link to the Lake George Elementary School’s extensive nature trails. A crosswalk on Bloody Pond Road will ultimately connect the East Brook Preserve to the McPhillips Preserve. The Town of Lake George is working to create a multi-use trail system on the McPhillips Preserve. The finished trail system is expected to include several miles of challenging trails for hiking and mountain biking, and offer a clear view of Lake George’s south basin, including Prospect Mountain on the opposite side.

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Welcome 2024: Happy New Year

I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, “Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”

And he replied, “Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than the light and safer than a known way”

So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night. And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of the day in the lone East.

“Gate of the Year”, Minnie Louise Haskins, 1908

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Top News Story of Huletts: 2023

As we complete another circle around our sun, it’s my habit to reflect on our past year. I’ve always believed that it’s good to reflect on what happened over the last year and what might shape the future. I also like to move into the new year by taking one last look back at what I consider the top “news” story of Huletts Landing from the past year.

I have been posting and writing here on the Huletts Current since November 2007. I have done this annually since then and I usually get feedback one way or another.

So here it is for 2023. While it may have happened on the other side of the mountain, I am naming the actual installation of the Champlain Hudson Power Express cable down Route 22, through our beautiful Town of Dresden, as the Top News Story of Huletts for 2023. My rationale is below.


Seen here in June 2023, the cable bringing power from Canada to New York city was actually installed along state Route 22 in Dresden during 2023.

The project has been in the works for many years, but during 2023 the actual cable was installed along state Route 22 here in Dresden. It will carry electricity that will be generated almost exclusively in hydroelectric plants in Canada down to the New York city metropolitan area. It will not carry gas, oil or other hazardous materials. It will carry a lot of power though. The CHPE is expected to be fully operational in the spring of 2026, delivering 1,250 MW of renewable power directly into the New York Metro area. This $6B project ensures that generations of New Yorkers will benefit. Wide support exists from communities up and down the line, as well as labor and environmental groups. The buried line also ensures reliable power delivery in extreme weather.

It will have an an enormous future impact on Huletts in that it will bring revenue to Dresden, the Whitehall school district and Washington county for many years. The developers of the project estimate that it will bring $1.4 billion in tax revenue to communities throughout New York State over 30 years. The payments to local jurisdictions are expected to start in 2025 in the form of payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreements. The early estimates are that the Whitehall Central school district will receive combined payments of $750,000 for the first year, growing to about $2 million in the 30th and final year. The Town of Dresden is estimated to receive $3.27 million in total PILOT funds over 30 years. Our locally elected office holders will decide how these funds will be appropriated. Every voter should ask; “how is this money going to benefit us?”

There will be much more on this in the years to come, making the installation of the Champlain Hudson Power Express cable down Route 22, through our beautiful Town of Dresden, as the Top News Story of Huletts for 2023. Happy New Year!