Group seeks to limit pollution and invasive plants.
By Samantha C. DePoy
Staff Writer

RANGELEY – Organizers of a water protection program say 60 volunteers appear to have waged a successful battle against invasive plants and pollutants this summer in the Rangeley region.

So far, no invasive plants, such as the Eurasian milfoil that has choked other popular lakes in the state, have made their way into Rangeley, says Rebecca Kurtz of the Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust.

The two closest known invasions are at Messalonskee Lake and Bryant Pond. And although they’re 70 miles away, it’s close enough that boat inspectors in the Rangeley area are making sure to be extra vigilant.

This past summer was the second for the invasive plant program, which relies on the efforts of 35 volunteer and two paid boat inspectors to check boats and educate their owners about invasive plants at public launches.

As of Friday, 967 boats had been looked over with owners reporting to inspectors that 12 percent of those boats had previously floated in invested lakes and ponds.

Kurtz reports that no fragments of invasive plants have been found in the Rangeley area, but inspectors have spotted lichen and even seaweed.

The efforts by the RLHT and its volunteers echo those made by the state, which now requires boat owners to purchase a $10 “Preserve Maine Waters” sticker when they register their boat. That money goes to stop aquatic hitchhikers through monitoring, site management and rapid response, inspections, interstate efforts and education.

Last year, $1 million was raised through sticker sales, a percentage of which was made available, to groups like the RLHT, to pay for monitors.

As the boating season isn’t completely over, it’s hard to tell how water quality results measured up to previous years, says Shelby Rousseau, RLHT Natural Resources director and organizer of the water quality monitoring portion of the program. Her 25 monitors will be out taking water samples in 13 ponds and lakes through the end of October. Those monitors track algae blooms, measure phosphorus levels and make sure the water isn’t heavy with the pollutants that run-off of camp roads

So far, she says, there is little variation between the data collected this summer and the data collected last summer.

At Eco-Venture, a summer camp coordinated by the RLHT, Kurtz teaches about invasive plants and campers participate in boat inspector relays.

Already, Kurtz’s teachings have rubbed off as several campers have reported or collected milfoil for identification by RLHT and the Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program. The milfoil youngsters have spotted are native species and beneficial to the area.

The combined budget for the two programs is $58,000, with $36,000 coming as in-kind support from the 60 volunteers.

This year, more than $15,000 was donated from the town of Rangeley and Sandy River, Dallas Hill and Rangeley plantations. At the four town meetings where that money was raised, only two votes were against giving RLHT the money requested.

That’s a sign of assurance for Kurtz and Rousseau that residents of the area realize how crucial caring for the water is. Now, says Kurtz, the trick is going to be keeping the momentum up.

“Whether it’s a microscopic bit of algae or a 20-foot invasive plant, it’s going to have the same effect on water quality, the economy, recreation and property value,” says Kurtz.

If invasive plants don’t surface in Rangeley, she worries that taxpayers will think the program is a waste of money. Not true, she and Rousseau are quick to point out.

“The water quality around the state is not remaining static,” Kurtz says. “It’s suffering.”

Evelyn McAllister, director of Rangeley’s Chamber of Commerce, is thankful for the RLHT’s work and knows that as long as the program continues, so will the region’s legendary aesthetics, and its economy.

“Having good clean lakes is just so important to our tourism economy,” McAllister noted.

For more information about invasive plants and protecting water quality, or to make a donation in time or money, contact the Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust at 864-7311 (ext. 4 or 5).

sdepoy@sunjournal.com

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