The Lake Host/Courtesy Boat Inspector Program is back for 2010 and bigger than ever. We have received additional funding from NH Lakes to expand our program to include the Weeks boat launch (where the Annual Meeting is held). This will not affect our staffing of the public boat launch in Acton, Maine which we will continue to staff as in the past.
Our staff this year consists of returning lake hosts: Captain Caitlyn McKay, Courtney McKay, Jay Fugarazzo, and Nick Lee. We have also hired two new lake hosts – Dan Kraft, who has volunteered in the past, and Hayley Mandeville. The paid staff will be at the launches starting Friday, May 28th.
As in the past two years, training for volunteer lake hosts can be done at a GEL boat launch. If anyone is interested in volunteering please call Chris McKay at 603-686-9069 or email him at chris.mckay916@gmail.com for more information. Volunteers work two hour shifts on Satur-days and Sundays with a paid lake host.
Last year our lake hosts made 1,463 inspections. From those inspections our lake hosts made two official saves by preventing variable milfoil and pondweed from entering the lake. A third unofficial save was also made by removing a dead specimen of milfoil from a trailer. The New Hampshire Lake Host program had a total of 297 saves statewide, and the Maine Cour-tesy Boat Inspection program had 114 saves. Our continued participation in the Lake Host program is an essential part of keeping Great East free of invasive weeds.