One of the PLIA’s most important partners is NH LAKES. Its Lake Host Program oversees and administers our own Program, providing support and partial funding for all the work that our volunteer and paid Lake Hosts do to help keep Pawtuckaway Lake healthy. A major part of its educational programming assists our Lake Hosts in their “Clean, Drain, and Dry” campaign. This effort is designed to inform boaters about the importance of making sure they do not transport invasive species from lake to lake unintentionally. “Clean, Drain, and Dry” is a slogan worth repeating!
Since 1992, NH LAKES has been dedicated to protecting the lakes of New Hampshire and their watersheds through education and advocacy. Of particular interest to the PLIA is its recent collaboration with the Exotic Aquatic Weeds and Species Committee and other stakeholders to advance legislation that will require all boaters to clean and drain their boats between waterbodies.
Its mission includes educating and developing programs to aid local partners and lake communities to mitigate the threats to lake and pond water quality; specifically targeting aquatic invasive species and the pollution from stormwater runoff. To learn more about preventing aquatic invasive species, check out their programs: https://nhlakes.org/invasive-species-prevention/. To discover how NH LAKES helps property owners improve their land to avoid polluting runoff, read about their LakeSmart Program: https://nhlakes.org/lakesmart/.
NH LAKES has been instrumental in advocating at local and national levels for policies that support the best possible stewardship of New Hampshire’s precious natural, economic, and community resources – our lakes and their wildlife. It has initiated or collaborated on many pieces of legislation over the course of its history, many of which have become law and have shaped New Hampshire’s legal and programmatic framework for lake protection. It partners with other NH organizations and associations with common interests in conservation and the safe and balanced use of our lakes.
NH LAKES’ key legislative accomplishments include:
- Protecting loons from toxic lead fishing tackle
- Improving the Shoreland Water Quality Protection Act
- Increasing the availability of statewide funding for aquatic invasive species prevention and control programs
- Helping to create more sustainable funding streams for natural resource agencies and water infrastructure projects
- Supporting the passage of state laws that eliminate or reduce phosphorus in household cleaning products and lawn fertilizer, as well as other legislation that protects lake ecosystems
- Increasing boater safety
- Establishing a system to educate the public about cyanobacteria
- Creating a free program for assessing lakefront properties’ impact on water quality and offering resources to mitigate stormwater runoff
The PLIA is a member of NH LAKES and encourages its membership to support this organization as well. You can learn more about NH LAKES by visiting their website at: http://nhlakes.org/