December 27, 2018 2018 Year in Review
As we come to the end of 2018, we reflect on the great success that the LGLC has achieved towards its mission of protecting the land that protects the lake. This past year, we celebrated our organization’s 30th Anniversary.
Thanks to the many donors, landowners, volunteers, and community partners, more than 10,800 acres of land has been conserved since 1988 – that’s nearly one acre every day, that is now permanently protected, working to filter water, reduce erosion, and keep Lake George healthy and clean.
In this past year alone, we have protected 375 additional acres within the watershed. This land filters over 120,000,000 gallons of water that flow into Lake George every year – forever.
All of this success, this year and throughout our history, is made possible by our staff, Board, volunteers, committee members, partners, and most importantly, YOU. Here is a brief rundown of some the successes that you made happen in 2018 and a bit of what to look forward to in the New Year. Thank you, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all!
Conservation Projects
· Leeming Jelliffe Preserve (37 Acres – Huletts Landing): This project protects nearly 4 acres, 
including 600 feet of shoreline, through a purchased conservation easement. An additional 33 acres were purchased to create the Leeming Jelliffe Preserve, a public, community treasure for Huletts Landing that will protect the lake forever. The preserve is named in honor of those who first protected it in the early 1900’s. The project was generously funded by the Lawler family and Kellogg Foundation. For more information, visit the preserve page here.
· French Mountain (315 acres – LG and Queensbury): Thanks to the vision of two town supervisors 
and their boards, the Lake George Land Conservancy’s experience with collaborative land projects, and a cooperative and conservation-minded landowner, over 300 acres of forested land on the French Mountain Range are now forever protected. This partnership project between the LGLC, Towns of LG, Queensbury, and McPhillips Family will become multi-use trails and the protection of the land will prevent the construction of 15 houses, providing water quality protection of East Brook and the lake, as well as scenic viewshed protection. This area also connects to our East Brook preserved lands. Click here for the full press release.
Stewardship Overview
· Monitored all 13 of our conservation easements (1,045 acres)
· Monitored 11,000 acres under LGLC ownership and approximately 3,500 acres of DEC land that the LGLC has agreed to steward
· Managed approximately 35 miles of trails that hosted approximately 30,000 visitors last year. These visitors all learned the importance of the work of the LGLC and protecting the land that protects the lake.
· Completed the first phase of the Pilot Knob Preserve Restoration Project with the second phase to be completed Summer of 2019. This entire project has been funded through generous grants from the Alfred Z. Solomon Charitable Trust, the Adirondack SmartGrowth Grant and the Recreational Trails Partnership Grant.
· Held workshops on HWA, mapped the watershed for hemlocks, conducted hemlocks surveys, worked with the Hemlock Initiative and DEC to create strategies for monitoring the watershed.
· Removed other invasive terrestrials from our preserves.
Community Outreach
· Our events and programs reached over 1,600 people, including over 500 hikers who participated in the Hike-a-Thon (which has grown dramatically in the number of participants, sponsors, and funds raised since its inception) and 55 runners in our 2nd annual Amy’s Adventure Race for the Lake, which saw a 50% increase in funds raised.
· Our Living Lands series was sponsored by Stewart’s Shops and offered free presentations on a wide-variety of topics, including the history of the Lake George Steamboat Company, native medicinal plants, ticks & Lyme disease, bats, and moose and educated over 250 people this past summer. The series offers an annual opportunity to partner with local educators and organizations, including the DEC & the Lyme Action Network, to increase our educational outreach and resources. Our NextGeneration Committee also hosted a series of Walk & Talks, giving people an opportunity to explore the land while learning from various experts including an Ornithologist, a water quality researcher, a wilderness survival educator and more.
· Over 235 people attended the 2018 Land & Water Conservation Celebration Gala which raised over $240,000, including $75,000 towards the purchase of French Mountain!
· Over 250 people attended our 30th Anniversary Celebration held at Up-Yonda Farm (a partner) in Bolton Landing, which had local food trucks, live music, face painting and more for family and friends.
· Our NextGeneration Committee (19 members) continues to grow and meet monthly, discussing new ways to engage people around the lake and the younger members of our communities.
Thanks to you, we made an amazing impact on the land that protects the lake in 2018 and we have some great things on the horizon.
Looking ahead to 2019
· Hulett’s Landing Initiative– The LGLC will be working with landowners and donors on the east side and in the Foster Brook area to continue conserving land in and around this special area, which is largely undeveloped.
· Bolton Hub Plan– The Bolton Recreational Hub (the Hub) is an innovative, collaborative initiative between the LGLC and the Town of Bolton that will build on the efforts of both to provide a high quality eco-tourism experience to locals and tourists. By combining land and water quality protection, recreation opportunities, economic development, and community growth, the initiative will offer a holistic experience that allows people to enjoy the natural beauty of the region while at the same time learning about the importance of land protection and responsible stewardship, and contributing to the Town’s economic health.
· Continued HWA Monitoring – We want you to know that the LGLC is not resting on the HWA front. Winter is the best time of year to monitor for HWA, and our staff has already started our wintertime monitoring. We will be continuing outreach events to teach more people about HWA, and will be able to treat any infested treat hemlocks in timely manner to defend our watershed.
Save the Dates for Upcoming Events
Follow us on Facebook & Instagram to stay up to date with us on upcoming events for 2019!
* Scats and Tracks, Winter Tracking: January 12th @ Amy’s Park (registration requested)
* Cabin Fever Open House: January 17th @ LGLC Macionis Family Center for Conservation
* Challenging Cross-Country Ski Tour: Saturday, January 19 @ Cat & Thomas Mts (registration required)
* Walk on Water to Dome Island: Saturday, February 16 @ 10 am OR 2 pm (waiting list only)
* 8th Annual Hike-A-Thon: Friday, July 5
* Annual Land and Water Conservation Celebration: Friday, August 2 @ Inn at Erlowest
* 2019 Summer Celebration: Saturday, August 17 @ Up Yonda Farm
* 3rd Annual Amy’s Adventure Race for the Lake: Saturday, September 28 @ Amy’s Park
** Thanks to Laurie Carr, Kevin Troy, Alex Novick, Michele Vidarte, Lindsey Duval, Erika Burkowski, Matt Sprow, Amanda Metzger, Lauren Quigan and Krystal Brayton and more for capturing so many great photos throughout our year! **
