Little Sebago Lake Association

Home

News

Road Assoc/Islands

Merchandise

Meetings

LSLA

Loonacy

Resources

10th Annual Milfoil Summit

Planned Giving Info

Milfoil Update, June 2010

Go Green and choose to receive your information via email

Letter in Support of Grant to Manage Invasives

Saturday, December 18, 2004

The attached letter of support went out at the request of Roberta Hill with MCIAP in relation to a grant they are applying for to manage invasives. The letter was written by Scott Lowell, President of the LSLA. It is as follows:

PO Box 912
Windham, Maine 04062

Ellen G. Lippincott
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
1120 Connecticut Ave., NW
Suite 900
Washington, DC 20036 Dec. 8, 2004

Dear Ms. Lippincott;

Little Sebago Lake is one of the busier recreational lakes in southern Maine. The lake covers nearly 1800 acres and has a 13 sq. mile watershed. There are about 1500 developed properties around the lake totaling over 500 Million in property value and tax base. We have large and diverse populations of wildlife including many species of ducks, geese, otters, loons, osprey and Eagles. Numerous fishing tournaments indicate a healthy fish population. The water-testing program reviewed by Maine DEP each year puts our water quality in the upper 25% for the state.

However, an invasive infestation threatens to impact all the attributes Little Sebago has to offer southern Maine.

In 2000 a fast growing red-stemmed plant was recognized around the lake. It was identified as a virulent hybrid of variable leaf milfoil. We initiated a survey group to assess the growth and mounted a couple large volunteer hand removal projects. In two years became clear that we needed professional help. We hired an outside company to do a whole lake invasive plant survey, which indicated the plant had a solid foothold in many areas. An LSLA task force developed a program that was presented to the commissioners of Inland Fisheries, Dept. of Conservation, and Dept. of Environmental Protection. Our goal was to make them aware of the scope of the problem and potential ramifications. We explained the physical efforts of plant removal were expensive but crucial to maintain water quality. Maine’s education approach in addressing invasive species did little to remove established populations.

This past summer, 2004, we monitored our boat launch, installed bottom barriers and used suction dredging to combat the intruder. The plant was raked up off shorefront property by the bushel basket where four years ago it was not seen at all. Fragments were floating in the lake in many areas. The plant now covers ten times the area of initial discovery and has nearly doubled since the invasive survey of 2003. This winter we are developing a pontoon boat to use in the effort next year. However, we have limited financial resources. If the problem is not addressed in a coordinated, intense manner next summer the infestation may grow beyond what can be brought under control.

MVLMP has been a wonderful resource for us and was the group making the initial plant identification. They have spoken for us at meetings and arranged trainings for volunteers. The group is very committed to managing invasive species and helping to keep Maine’s lakes as free from invaders as possible. The most recent infestations of Hydrilla and Eurasian Milfoil in Maine show us clearly we have to be vigilant in the efforts.

I hope you will support the MVLMP program, as Maine needs cooperative involvement with outside sources if we are to keep our waters open and available for generations to come.

Respectfully submitted,
Scott Lowell Pres. LSLA

Gray Weather Forecast, ME