Big targets need a huge level of confront, and that's what a newly formed committee is putting into a capital campaign aimed at raising funds for the SLPA Eurasian Water Milfoil mitigation program. If you want to get a look at the campaign and who's driving it on behalf of Salem Lakes, click here now and be one of its champions!

The Salem Lakes Preservation Association (SLPA) was awarded more than $24,000 in grant funds from The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation for two of the association's biggest environmental programs. DEC funds are distributed as the lake association achieves required benchmarks set by the state of Vermont. The final award amount is subject to meeting performance benchmarks which SLPA is expected to meet.

The DEC grants support Salem Lake’s Public Boat Access Greeter Program and Aquatic Invasive Species Management Programs. In 2022 the Greeter program inspected 808 boats, a 24% increase over 2021 totals. Inspectors employed by SLPA recorded 32 boats with invasive milfoil leaving Salem Lake. Just two contaminated boats preparing to launch at Salem’s Dave Woods State Boat Access had milfoil plant fragments. Boat owners are being applauded for their efforts in keeping boats free of plant fragments and animals while transporting them from lake to lake. As a reminder, state fines now apply to boats carrying weeds during transport.

SLPA’s milfoil management program contracted with a lake management company to remove almost 23,000 gallons (approximately 32 tons) of invasive Eurasian Water Milfoil (EWM) between June and October. Grant funds were also used to purchase a utility trailer to assist removing these large quantities of EWM to the Derby town stump dump and a local transfer station. The total actual cost of the Greeter program, not including volunteer contributions, was about $25,000. The total actual cost of milfoil removal efforts was greater than $30,000. Costs for both programs were offset by a $15,000 donation from the town of Derby as well as many individual donations. 

Grant funds were also used to print an info card about EWM locations and how to avoid spreading plant fragments. These cards were handed to boaters as they entered the lake following boat inspection. Grant funds were used to hire a consultant to assist in creating a five-year lake management plan.