Steve Thurston (2021)
Lake George
About 50 companies in and around Lake George signed a compact agreeing to work together and keep the lake clean, the Lake George Association announced late yesterday. Called the Business Compact on Economic Imperative of Protecting Lake George, the document is more of an outline of ideas than a plan of action, according to signatories interviewed yesterday and today.
The compact highlights the economic benefits of caring for Lake George.
According to the press release, the compact has four bullet points as its main focus: push New York State to implement the state’s Harmful Algal Bloom Action Plan for Lake George; support scientific monitoring, and work with the researchers and others to protect water quality; support science-guided programs, policies and actions; and evaluate their own businesses’ impacts on the lake, particularly in regard to septic systems and stormwater management.
The compact came after two major environmental events on the lake, the arrival of harmful algal blooms, which occur in warmer water where higher concentrations of phosphorus are found, and the arrival of the hemlock wooly adelgid, an invasive insect that slowly kills the hemlock trees.
The first ever algal bloom recorded on the lake occurred late last year, and at least four more blooms have been found since then. The adelgid population was found last year on the eastern shoreline near Black Mountain. Hemlocks make up much of the forest surrounding the lake.
The state’s Harmful Algal Bloom Action Plan for Lake George highlights a number of concerns, especially around improving and monitoring private septic systems and municipal sewer and wastewater systems.
In an interview yesterday, Eric Siy, the LGA’s executive director, said "These [the four items on the bulleted list] are the next steps in converting this compact, this commitment on paper into results."
He said the compact formalizes the advocacy role of the individual businesses. Signing on was not just a signature but a commitment, he said.
The actions may take the form of letters, general meetings, or direct meetings with public officials to underscore the concern and the need for action, he said, adding, “This is the lifeblood of the regional economy.”
He said, businesses need to demonstrate leadership so that others follow.
"I totally agree with what Eric said,” said Kathy Flacke Muncil, CEO of the Fort William Henry Corp. and chair of the LGA’s Council of Business Advisors. She signed onto the compact.
She said the businesses on the compact will rely on science. The lake has the Darrin Freshwater Institute, the Jefferson Project, the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation and the Adirondack Park Agency, among other groups, all looking at water quality.
"They are our science department," she said, adding that often bad choices are made without the best science.
Her company is one of the larger employers on the lake, but said that the group is trying to put together less expensive products and practices.
"Our group is going to make sure you can afford to do it right,” she said.
Matt O’Hara, another signatory, said his company on Dunham’s Bay, the Freedom Boat Club, just completed a $1.5 million renovation that included water-permeable pavers and a guttering system on the building’s roof.
"All the [rooftop] rainwater goes into the dry well instead of the lake,” he said. He was quick to note that not every business will be able to make choices like his did, but he liked the “aspirational” aspect of the compact.
"It's a conversation starter and a way to share best practices," he said.
Of the three interviewed, none had approached state leadership yet, though Muncil said she has met Gov. Kathy Hochul in the past and thinks the change in the governor’s mansion will be good.
For his part, O’Hara said he is looking toward the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
His business owns electric boats and he said he would like to see more charging infrastructure created. Plus, people who buy electric boats should have the same tax incentives as people who buy electric cars. The tax breaks generally go toward “electric vehicles” and boats are vehicles, he said.
According to the press release, a 2020 study by the Lake Champlain-Lake George Regional Planning Board found Lake George generates $2 billion in annual economic activity and supports more than 500 tourism businesses. It is responsible for generating nearly $630 million in direct tourism spending. Research on Lake Champlain found that a three-foot loss in water clarity decreases summer tourism spending, costs regional jobs, and depresses seasonal home values.
The LGA has made the compact available on their website for any business to sign.