While this is our focus and primary goal of all of our land conservation efforts, the benefits don’t need to end there. We are working with the Town of Bolton to use protected land in another way: our preserves, managed lands, and future acquisitions within Bolton will help the town to become a premier destination for outdoor recreation and exploration, and be an asset to the downtown economy.

The idea of the Town of Bolton as a “recreational hub” started with Bolton Town Supervisor Ron Conover and Tony Hall, owner of the Lake George Mirror, a regional newspaper based out of Bolton Landing. After learning that Bolton rivals Lake Placid for the number of people visiting for recreational purposes, the two thought that Bolton should take advantage of its unique advantages.

In response, the LGLC, the Town, and the Bolton Landing Chamber of Commerce came together and asked The Chazen Companies to develop a plan. The resulting Bolton Recreational Hub Strategy, published 05/10/2019, is a 96-page compilation of stakeholder interviews, an inventory of existing trails and public spaces, reviews of past plans, and recommendations for moving forward.

For the LGLC, the plan offers ideas for improvements on existing preserves that will offer better experiences for visitors, including ways that people can learn about the importance of protecting land for the benefit of water quality. The plan also identifies potential opportunities to connect existing LGLC preserves to State lands for expanded recreation (including multi-use trails) and natural resource protection.

For the Town, the plan identifies ways to create a marketing campaign that would allow visitors to learn about these opportunities and all that Bolton has to offer. Marketing the system of trails and connecting them to the restaurants and businesses in town would be the responsibility of the Town and Chamber. However, as a member of the Chamber, the LGLC will help with this aspect of the plan where possible within its own materials.

Ultimately, the Hub will work to enhance our ability to protect land and provide opportunities to increase the public’s understanding of why our work is important to the lake. At the same time, it will provide a benefit to the community where we work. The Bolton Recreational Hub is a real win for Lake George.