Paul Smith's College invasive species program wins $7,500 grant - 2008-12-22

Watershed Stewardship Program receives money from Lake Champlain group

CONTACT: Kenneth Aaron, director of communications, (518) 327-6297

PAUL SMITHS – The Paul Smith's College Watershed Stewardship Program has won
a $7,500 grant to help keep invasive species out of Lake Placid and Rainbow
Lake.

The grant was awarded by the Lake Champlain Basin Program, and will pay for
the costs of keeping boat inspectors at Lake Placid and Rainbow Lake, as
well as other monitoring and control projects.

"We're looking forward to working with the Lake Champlain Basin Program
again," said Eric Holmlund, director of the Watershed Stewardship Program,
which is part of the college's Adirondack Watershed Institute. "There is no
evidence of exotic invasives in either Lake Placid or Rainbow Lake, and we
hope to keep it that way. Our stewards stopped invasive plants from entering
waterways on numerous occasions last summer, and we taught hundreds of boat
owners how to keep an eye out for these species on their own."

Invasives such as Eurasian watermilfoil, zebra mussels, water chestnut and
curly leaf pondweed are an increasingly dangerous threat to both the
environmental and economic health of the Adirondacks. Their rapid
proliferation kills off native species, can make waterways impassible and
hurts tourism and other industries.

The college's Watershed Stewardship Program started in 2000 on the St. Regis
Lake Chain and is now operating on several other area lakes and ponds. The
program has also served as a model for the recently begun boat launch
programs on Lake Champlain and Lake George, as well as on other lakes in the
area. Each year, before boating season begins, all volunteer and paid
stewards in the region train at Paul Smith's College to ensure they
distribute consistent messages to the public and collect data the same way.

The program stations stewards or provides education to lakes including the
St. Regis Lakes, Upper Saranac Lake, Lower Saranac Lake, Rainbow Lake,
Osgood Pond, Long Lake and Raquette Lake.

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At Paul Smith’s College, it’s about the experience. The college, whose
campus is on the shores of Lower St. Regis Lake, is the only four-year
institution of higher education in the 6-million-acre Adirondack Park of New
York State. Our programs, in fields including hospitality, culinary arts,
forestry, natural resources, entrepreneurship, the sciences, and many
others, draw on industries and resources available in our own backyard while
preparing students for successful careers anywhere.