WAMC News
(2011-05-16)
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Patrick Donges/WAMC
In 2009 the invasive species was discovered inhabiting Laurel Lake in nearby Lee, marking their first appearance in a Massachusetts fresh water lake. Here's Lambert.
"In the fight against the invasive species known as Zebra Mussels, Berkshire County is essentially, in Massachusetts, the front lines."
"This is costly and very dangerous invasive species. It is incumbent upon all of us to work extra hard to protect these resources and to do so in ways that are smart and in ways that are very effective."
With a small plastic container full of dead mussels resting nearby, Lambert announced that the department will spend $71,000 this year, an increase from 2010, to pay for eight full-time boat ramp monitors, up from six last year, at seven local lakes from May through September.
Both Pittsfield and the town of Richmond on the Massachusetts-New York border will also receive direct grants from the state to hire their own boat ramp monitors.
"We're very confident that that investment in the resource will be well managed by the city and the town."
A portable boat washing station will also be installed this summer at Laurel Lake using federal grant money and Pittsfield and surrounding towns are looking for volunteer boat monitors for the busy summer boating season.
There will be two full-time state monitors at Laurel Lake for dawn to dusk coverage starting this week until Columbus Day weekend. The remaining areas will depend on volunteer and locally funded monitors for full-time coverage.
"DCR's Lakes and Ponds Program will continue to survey all of the high risk water bodies here in this region."
"It's a multi-faceted approach; it's one that involves multiple partners."
Those high risk areas include Laurel Lake, Onota Lake, Cheshire Reservoir, Stockbridge Bowl and Lake Buel.
Tom Flannery, an aquatic ecologist at the DCR's Lakes and Ponds Program, describes how boat ramp monitors detect invasive species.
"They're searching the vehicle, the trailer, the boat for any visible aquatic hitchhiker, like a plant fragment, which is seen with the naked eye. Also feeling the hull of the boat for any rough or gritty spots which might be the young zebra mussels that have settled out; (they) kind of feels like sandpaper on the boat."
Massachusetts uses a self-certification system where boaters must sign and display a tag confirming their vehicles are uncontaminated or face civil penalties.
There are also efforts underway at the Statehouse to stop the spread of the species.
On May 12 a bill sponsored by state Senator Ben Downing to establish a state aquatic nuisance control program and also strengthen enforcement of existing regulations by increasing civil penalties was passed unanimously for the second year in a row.
While admitting that the new policy would add to the department's costs, Lambert said he believed Governor Deval Patrick and other state leaders would support the measure despite both Patrick and the legislature's consideration of deep cuts to the department's budget in 2012.
"In spite of the limited resources, we're still very supportive of the legislation. While we're always concerned about resources, it's not changing our opinion."
At a community forum on May 13, Downing said he has been working personally with Lambert to ensure a continuation of funding for zebra mussel detection and prevention programs.
"I will absolutely be working with him to make sure that he has the resources he needs to partner with our cities and towns to protect our lakes and ponds."
The Senate Ways and Means Committee is scheduled to release it's version of the 2012 budget on Wednesday. The invasive species legislation is currently awaiting consideration by the state House of Representatives.
© Copyright 2012, WAMC
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