New York state has acquired the Berry Pond
\nPreserve in Warren County, which was attained
\nto protect water quality in Lake George and its
\ntributaries.<\/p>\n
The state purchased the 1,436-acre property
\nfrom the Lake George Land Conservancy with
\n$1.7 million from the Environmental Protection
\nFund.<\/p>\n
“By purchasing this land, the state is stepping
\nup to protect the health and vitality of Lake
\nGeorge and the surrounding communities,” Gov.
\nAndrew Cuomo said. “The Berry Pond Preserve
\nis an integral part of both the local ecosystem
\nand the region’s economy, and we will ensure
\nthat it remains pollutant-free and accessible
\nfor families and visitors alike to enjoy for years
\nto come.”
\nThe Berry Pond Preserve lies within the Warren
\nCounty towns of Lake George, Lake Luzerne
\nand Warrensburg, and includes the headwaters
\nof West Brook, a major tributary to the southern
\nbasin of Lake George.<\/p>\n
Officials said because water quality in this
\npart of Lake George is closely tied to the health
\nof West Brook, purchasing the tract will help to
\nprotect these waters. The property will be added
\nto the state Forest Preserve and the state will
\npay full local property and school taxes on the
\nnewly acquired land.<\/p>\n
The Lake George Land Conservancy purchased
\nthe preserve in January 2008 as an
\nintegral part of the West Brook Conservation
\nInitiative, which is designed to dramatically
\nreduce sediments and pollutants that currently
\nrun freely into West Brook and, subsequently,
\ninto Lake George near the Million Dollar Beach.<\/p>\n
It is a coordinated effort by Warren County, the
\nVillage of Lake George, New York state, the
\nLake George Land Conservancy, the Fund for
\nLake George and the Lake George Association.<\/p>\n
“Tens of thousands of visitors will soon descend
\non Lake George to marvel at its amazing
\nbeauty during the very busy summer season.
\nProtecting this incredible asset is good for the
\nenvironment and for the economy,” said state
\nSen. Betty Little of Queensbury. “This acquisition will help ensure a watershed critically
\nimportant to the health of the lake is protected
\nfor generations to come.”<\/p>\n
Assemblyman Dan Stec said protecting the
\nwaters of Lake George continues to be a priority
\nfor the state. “Providing additional recreational
\nactivities will be an economic benefit to the
\nentire region,” he noted.<\/p>\n
Department of Environmental Conservation
\nCommissioner Joe Martens said. “Governor
\nCuomo is committed to helping communities
\nacross the state access their natural resources
\nto provide exciting recreation opportunities for
\nresidents and visitors, which will also benefit
\nthe regional economy. The acquisition of the
\nBerry Pond Preserve helps further this goal
\nand protects an important tributary in the Lake
\nGeorge Watershed.”<\/p>\n
Connecting nearly 10,000 acres of protected
\nland, the Berry Pond tract links Prospect Mountain,
\nlands owned by the Nature Conservancy,
\nthe Department of Environmental Conservation
\nsustainable forestry easement lands and other
\nopen space land owned by the village and town
\nof Lake George.<\/p>\n
Situated adjacent to the existing Lake
\nGeorge Recreation Center, the Berry Pond
\ntract provides significantly expanded outdoor
\nrecreational resources for residents and visitors,
\nincluding trails used by the South Warren
\nSnowmobile Club.<\/p>\n
Kevin Geraghty, chairman of the Warren
\nCounty Board of Supervisors, said, “Protecting
\nthe waters of Lake George is important to the
\neconomy of Warren County as well as the environment.
\nThis is another step in the right direction
\nto protect the ‘Queen of American Lakes.'”<\/p>\n
Robert Blais, Mayor of the Village of Lake
\nGeorge, said the purchase will allow the Lake
\nGeorge Land Conservancy to continue its work
\nin protecting our watershed, creating additional
\nrecreational opportunities and “preserving our
\ngreat physical resources.”<\/p>\n
The tract is included in the state’s Open
\nSpace Conservation Plan as a priority conservation
\nproject.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
New York state has acquired the Berry Pond Preserve in Warren County, which was attained to protect water quality in Lake George and its tributaries. The state purchased the 1,436-acre property from the Lake George Land Conservancy with $1.7…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":88,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[118,135],"yoast_head":"\r\n