Lake Association works with State officials to battle milfoil
By Carol Ann Doucette, LSLA Secretary & Web Editor

Gray--Board members of the Little Sebago Lake Association met recently in Augusta with state officials in regards to the milfoil problem on the lake. The meeting was prompted by a conversation that Scott Lowell, lake association president had with Gov. Baldacci during a local meeting in the town of Gray. Scott spoke in depth with the Governor about his concerns with milfoil infestations, lack of funding for removal and the elimination of jobs on the state level in relation to lake water quality. A meeting was arranged so that the board could present an overview of its mission, accomplishments and goals in relationship to milfoil eradication.

State members present were Commissioner of the Inland Fish and Wildlife, Roland D. Martin, John Bolen of IFW, Commissioner of the DEP, Dawn Gallagher, John McPhedran and Karen Hahnel of the DEP Invasives Division, Land and Water Bureau Director, Andrew Fisk and George Powell, of the Bureau of Parks and Lands from the Department of Conservation. President Scott Lowell and past president, Kim McBride, facilitated a PowerPoint presentation prepared by William Shelly of the LSLA.

The presentation titled "Invasive Aquatic Plant Mitigation, A Partnership with the State of Maine" gave a brief overview of when milfoil was first discovered on the lake, what has transpired since then and a step by step history of the process of tracking and removing the milfoil, since it's discovery. It also listed accomplishments to date including the development of the LSL website at www.littlesebagolake.com, newsletters produced bi-annually, active involvement with many environmental groups, board members involved with town planning boards, zoning, council members, real estate, construction, marketing, education, accounting and personal and system management.

Additional accomplishments include a water quality program, buffer plant program, watershed survey of the entire lake with a current grant of $170,000 to be used for issues found in Survey I, a dam program managing the Hopkins dam owned by the LSLA and ongoing maintenance and stewardship of Little Sebago. In conclusion the lake association had the following recommendations and solutions in dealing with milfoil on Little Sebago.

They requested help financially from the State to hire divers and support personal to do hand removal of plants in the areas deemed most urgent as a result of the survey completed in August of 2003, marking all plant infestations on the lake. Also requested was money for training and insurance, equipment, boat ramp upgrades for milfoil removal and education funds. As an organization, the LSLA budgets are $17,500 annually derived from the dues paying membership. This budget provides for dam maintenance, additional warden services, periodic dredging of sandbars and preservation of the lake.

To undertake a milfoil removal project of this magnitude, State help would be essential. The members of the board stressed the word "partnership". The people of Maine own the lakes and the State is a partner in maintaining the long-term health of those water bodies. The Little Sebago Lake Association is willing to work with the State to develop a plan for preventing the spread of invasive from Little Sebago Lake. The association is also willing to work with other lake associations in controlling infestations of invasive aquatic plants on their lakes. They would also like to assist the State in developing a long-term comprehensive plan to manage invasive plants in Maine lakes and serve as a pilot site for the mitigation of invasive plants.

In conclusion, the LSLA feels that citizens and other stakeholders should be encouraged to participate meaningfully in identifying and resolving critical lake problems. Commissioner Martin of IFW stated that he and John Bolen would look into current conditions at the Mt. Hunger Shore boat ramp to evaluate what could be done to facilitate more monitoring at that site as far as milfoil and usage.

He also proposed that he and others would meet with board members in the spring to evaluate dredging equipment currently available to study the feasibility of its usage for milfoil removal on Little Sebago. State officials also would be considering the information presented and would be in contact in the near future. Other LSLA board members present at the meeting were Judy Andrews, Christine Godfrey, Sharon Bard and Carol Ann Doucette, LSLA Web Editor.