14th Annual Maine Milfoil Summit Convenes in Lewiston

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14th Annual Maine Milfoil Summit Convenes in Lewiston

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Before and After You Float, Please Inspect Your Boat! (maine.gov/dep)

Peter Lowell, executive director of the Lakes Environmental Association (LEA) in Bridgton, Maine welcomed a record crowd to the 14th Annual Milfoil Summit on March 1, 2013 at the USM campus in Lewiston.

The keynote speaker was Maine State Senator Thomas Saviello, R-Wilton, of District 18, which is one of the biggest in the state. It’s also home to more lakes than any other district.



Senator Saviello explained that he was chair of the Environmental and Natural Resources Committee in the 125th Session of the Legislature and dealt with a variety of bills that could have adversely affected the environment including the issues of mining, vernal pools, shoreland zoning and wildlife habitat. Some were rewrites of bills with rules from the 1980s, before the technology we have today was in place. Though he is no longer chair of that committee, he is still concerned because twenty inland waterways have some form of invasive species.
While there is no extra funding for environmental issues in this year’s budget, Senator Saviello encouraged all land owners, lakefront or not because we all live in some watershed, to get involved to do the work. “It’s not the lake people’s problem,” he said. If the lake fills with green, then property values will drop and all landowners will need to pay higher taxes. He stressed the importance of the Courtesy Boat Inspector Program and the Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program.
Along that same line, Senator Saviello explained that all homeowners should participate in the  DEP’s LakeSmart Program regardless of whether you live on a lake or not. LakeSmart is “a program that offers FREE opportunities for homeowners to learn how to manage their home and yard to protect the water quality of their lake by changing the increasingly common suburban landscaping practices around lakes to more natural, lake-friendly environments. It teaches landowners to keep our lake water clean by stabilizing eroding areas, reducing the use of chemicals, diverting rainwater into vegetated areas, and maintaining or planting trees, shrubs, and ground cover along the shoreland.”
The senator suggested that all community members make an effort to gather more information about what’s going on with our lakes by contacting the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Maine Wardens Service, lake associations and your local legislators. By the same token, he encouraged lake associations to invite legislators to meetings so they can better understand what is being done to maintain healthy watersheds.
Following his speech, John McPhedron, Biologist with the Maine DEP spoke briefly about the DEP and IF&W Invasive Aquatic Species Program. Their focus is currently on aquatic plants. Revenue from the “Milfoil” sticker, a lake protection sticker, which all  boat owners must purchase when registering boats, funds this program. DEP allocates grants each year to help with the Courtesy Boat Inspector Program and invasive plant removal projects. Mr. McPhedron reminded all to inspect boats before putting them in the water and again upon removal. Prevention includes inspections and early detection.
Adding a new twist to the Milfoil Summit, participants had the opportunity to view displays and exhibits that featured the latest innovations in prevention, early detection, rapid response and management.
Following the conclusion of the Summit, two different trainings were offered to the volunteers present: Courtesy Boat Inspector Training and How to Lead Invasive Plant Patrol Plant Paddles, which are short land/water events that introduce community members to the threat of invasive aquatic plants and the importance of early detection.
Each time you prepare to head out on the water, we encourage you to take the time to inspect your boat and stop aquatic hitchhikers from invading Maine waters.
To learn more about milfoil initiatives in Maine, click on the blog links below.
Maine Lakefront Property Owners Check For Aquatic Invaders
Pleasant Pond in Central Maine: Lakefront Views to Remember
Saving Sebago Cove from the Green Monster

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