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Wednesday, February 9, 2005
Little Sebago residents enlisted in milfoil fight
Copyright © 2005 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc. | ||
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GRAY — The Little Sebago Lake Association is calling on property owners to help combat the lake's growing milfoil problem. A form of variable milfoil was discovered in the lake in 1999. Since then, the invasive aquatic plant has infested large areas of the upper and lower bays and fragments of the plant have washed up on numerous beaches on the lake, which is in Gray and Windham. The association says there's no way to completely rid the lake of milfoil and that it needs to step up efforts to keep the invader in check. They're asking residents to contribute time, money and expertise and to tell municipal and state officials about their concerns. Milfoil grows rapidly, crowding out native species and ruining recreational areas. It's also feared that milfoil will drag down property values with its tangled masses of vegetation. "There's a lot to lose if we don't get it under control," Scott Lowell, president of the association, told about 100 people at a public forum held with the town of Gray on Tuesday. "It's going to take resources. It's going to take volunteers." The association, which now has an annual income of about $17,500 from dues, estimates it needs about $73,000 in the first year of a milfoil management program. That figure may be about $10,000 less because of the donation of a pontoon and design engineering, said Sharon Bard-Young, one of the association's directors, and the total amount is expected to decrease in subsequent years after the initial purchase of major equipment and as the need for training goes down. The association hopes grants may cover some costs. Much of the money would pay for divers and support personnel, equipment for suction dredging, an inspection program at the state boat ramp and an educational campaign. The association now has a nonprofit status that makes dues and donations tax-deductible. Property owners are asked to check their property beyond the water line for milfoil, pull out isolated plants and call for help with larger instances.
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