Schroon Lake Association, Inc.

Protecting Schroon Lake Since 1911

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March 2020 Lake Trout Newsletter

Posted: 3/23/2020

Mark's Message

The best word I can think of to describe the current environment is “unprecedented”. As someone who has been invested in the Schroon Lake community for most of my 70+ years, we have dealt with a number of issues, but nothing compares to the current COVID-19 pandemic.

There have been a number of setbacks that I have experienced both personally and professionally and, through each of those experiences, there was always a glimmer of hope that kept us going – our vision for the future. I would contend that vision for the future is best viewed in 360 degrees – where we’ve been, where we are and where we’re going

Where We’ve Been - the Schroon Lake Association has been protecting the watershed since 1911 and, to put it in perspective, that spans WWI, The Depression, WWII, Vietnam, The Recession, and viruses including 1918 Pandemic, H2N2, HIV, H1N1, SARS and Swine flu. The SLA watershed has seen it all, and we’re still here
Where We Are – admittedly in unknown territory. It’s almost surreal to be able to be able to see the beauty of the watershed and the peace and serenity that personify the Adirondack Park and balance that with the uncertainty of our neighbor’s health and our country’s economic future. One of the things I believe each of us struggle with is how we live today while planning for an uncertain future
Where We’re Going – each Spring our watershed goes through a rebirth of sorts – overcoming its present state to support each of the life forms that depend on it for their existence. Regardless of the current environment, it is always planning for the future

As your Schroon Lake Association, we are doing the same – acknowledging the past, coping with the present and planning for the future. As I work through the last year of my term as SLA President, here are the things we’re “planning for the future” to ensure that our children and grandchildren get to know our beautiful Watershed as we have

Monitor the quality of our waters and to prevent invasives from destroying our lakes, streams and ponds
Strengthen our partnership with ESSLA and PLA as well as local towns and governments to help steward our natural resources
Deepen our engagement with our local, county and State governments to make certain that they fulfill both their enforcement and funding promises
Being outstanding stewards of the funds that you have given us through your dues and donations to protect and improve our Watershed
Designing relevant programs to educate the public on ways to protect our environmental treasures
Hiring and training of Boat Launch and Decon Stewards by the Towns
Hosting events to educate and engage our community – including the 51^st Annual Craft Fair in July
Mapping and studying our changing lake bottom, water levels and weather patterns in hope that we will better understand their impact on life in the watershed

Here is what we ask of you as our partners

Stay Involved - better times will come so we should focus on hope and resolve not cynicism and fear
Continue Your Membership – and encourage new members to join environmental organizations, including the SLA, to ensure our work can continue
Positively Support - your local leaders as these wonderful, ordinary people are being smothered by a blizzard of demands from Washington and Albany and an occasional “way to go!” can mean the world to our local leaders
Come Together by Social Distancing – Schroon Lake is the quintessential “home town” – characterized by frequent and familial social interactions. With a significant number of “at risk” community members, we need to be vigilant in maintaining our distance when out and about

We know that eventually, “this too shall pass”, but in the meantime, as Sgt. Esterhaus on Hill Street Blues used to say, “Hey! Let’s be careful out there!”

Mark

Mark S. Granger, President SLA

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