May 13, 2021 LGLC Protects 154 Acres in Putnam, Expanding Sucker Brook Conservation

Bolton Landing, NY – The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) recently purchased 154 acres in the Town of Putnam, in the northeast region of Lake George. The land was purchased from the Rota and Rota-Poulin family, who had stewarded the property for multiple generations.

“The LGLC is pleased to have partnered with the Rota family,” said LGLC Executive Director Jamie Brown, “to protect their important property in Putnam. This land could not have been protected if not for the commitment of Amy Rota-Poulin, especially, who worked so hard to help the LGLC to ensure that the wetlands, forests, and natural resources of this beautiful place were conserved forever.”

The property lies mainly within the Lake George watershed and includes 26 acres of wetlands connected to Sucker Brook, one of Lake George’s largest tributaries. The protection of Sucker Brook and its large wetland complex is a key component to the LGLC’s larger Sucker Brook Conservation Initiative, which focuses on 4,600 acres in the region.

With the purchase of this land from the Rota family, 10 homes and septic systems have been prevented. The development of this property and associated septic systems would have negatively impacted the property’s wetlands and downstream water quality. Preventing impervious surfaces and development on upland properties like the Rota piece prevents sediment carrying excessive nutrients from reaching the lake.

“At a time when land within the watershed is under growing development pressure,” added Brown, “we are grateful that the Rota family chose to keep their land in its natural state forever and ensure that future generations will benefit from the water filtering effects of its wetlands and forests, its wildlife habitat, and its ability to protect the lake from rapidly changing weather patterns. We thank the Rota family for acting now to secure the future of the land and the lake.”

This specific region of northeast Lake George has been shown to be a major wildlife corridor, and the protection of this property provides further assurance that this corridor will remain available for wildlife to travel between Vermont and the Adirondack Park. Its diverse landscape includes grasslands that offer bird habitat, and sphagnum bogs that offer unique habitat for wetland species and filter the water.

“Working with the LGLC,” said Amy Rota-Poulin, “to protect this land that is incredibly important to my family and vitally important to the lake has been such a rewarding experience. There is only one Lake George, and we are extremely grateful to see that someone is working to protect the landscape that protects the lake, not just through this project but through the many projects that the LGLC has completed. Our family has the highest faith in the passion and commitment of the LGLC, and we know we can trust them to steward this land with care.”

The conservation of the Rota property was made possible thanks to individual donations, a grant from The Nature Conservancy, and with a loan from the LGLC’s Land Revolving Fund, an internal resource that allows them to act quickly, when land is most vulnerable. Donations are gratefully accepted to help with this project: lglc.org/projects/sucker-brook-conservation-initiative.

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