2016 Summer-y, with Final Word from Pogo

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elcome to the Fall 2016 edition of The Monitor! This edition is chock-full of stories and pictures from the most exciting and fulfilling summer we have ever had. Our established programs, new activities under the Three-year Plan, and unexpected opportunities such as the Run Your Buns Off charity race made this a year to remember. We hope that your summer was filled with family time, relaxation and classic Newfound activities. Newfound Lake was remarkably clear for most of the summer, with measured visibility often 30 feet or more, likely due to the lack of rain. Water temperatures were high, reaching 80 degrees for the fourth time in seven years, causing increased appearances of filamentous algae, a cloudy and slimy growth that appears in protected bays and coves in late summer. Bristol’s Avery-Crouse beach was closed for several days in the heart of the summer due to high bacteria counts. This is difficult news to share, although we suspected many of you know already. While we can’t control increasing temperatures or storms that deliver pollutants to streams and the Lake, we can increase our resilience by planting robust riparian buffers and not using fertilizer. Our Lake Hosts annually inspect over 3,000 water craft at the Wellington and Grey Rocks ramps, educating boaters

about invasive species and preventing unwanted hitchhikers from entering the Lake. Lake Hosts found no invasives this year, and Newfound appears to remain invasive free - the only large New Hampshire lake still able to make this claim. Your continued vigilance is required, as invasives are spreading and becoming more prevalent. Special thanks to Herb

D’Arcy for patrolling the western shores of the lake and responding to concerns about invasive plants. We need even more eyes on the water to keep Newfound invasivefree, so please contact us right away if you want to become a Weed Watcher and guard against an unwanted invasion. The NLRA Madelaine, crewed by crack Continued on page 12

Water connects us. Fed by Newfound Lake and the White Mountains, the Pemigewasset River at Profile Falls Park becomes the Merrimack in Franklin, flows through Concord and Manchester, and enters the Atlantic Ocean in Newburyport, MA.

From the Executive Director

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hat a year - we asked for it, and we got it! Our Three-year Plan to accelerate the pace of watershed protection resonated with hundreds of our members, and, stimulated by a substantial challenge match from Steve and Cheryl Jonas, was fully funded through 2016. The three core strategies of the Plan, that builds on existing successful programs, include individual property stewardship, town land-use rules and compliance, and land conservation. New programs designed to achieve these core strategies were funded by financial contributions to the Plan, which also builds NLRA capacity with additional staffing,

including our newest employee, Membership Manager Karen Bemis. Nine months in to the Plan, I am both thrilled and humbled. We set high expectations, and met or exceeded most of them. The NLRA’s foundation is even more solid than before, and our vision for 2017 made clearer by lessons learned in these early days. I am thrilled by the high level of excitement, cooperation and success achieved so far, and humbled by the trust, commitment and participation of our members and larger community that make it all possible. This edition of The Monitor contains much more about Plan progress to date,

as well as what comes next. We are at a crossroads for the future of the Lake and its land, where not taking action will result in a failed state of affairs. There is no need to fail, as together we have the tools, information, skills and heart to do the right thing - cherish and steward the Newfound’s land, water, and people. See you around the watershed!

Boyd Smith, Director

President’s Message

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omentum! The NLRA has gained impressive momentum in the past several years. We have doubled our efforts to protect Newfound Lake and its watershed. Problem is, while its citizens love the lake, they are not always aware of the fragility of its precious eco-system, and we are in danger of being out-momentum-ed by the development of houses, wind turbines, roads, and logging operations that

are popping up all around us. Quaint cottages have been torn down and replaced by larger four-season homes. Driveways have been paved, the land has been cleared, and lawns have been seeded and fertilized. As a result, water is less clear, weed growth more noticeable, and our forested views are fragmented by highly-visible structures. Thanks to our many generous supporters, NLRA is meeting its goals and addressing the dangers head-on, but we need your help

in spreading the word to those who aren’t members, who aren’t reading our materials and attending our events. Please recruit your friends and relatives to join NLRA so that we can get the word out more widely and continue to work together to protect the area we all love so much. Sincerely, Rob Moore, President

The Monitor is a publication of the Newfound Lake Region Association. NLRA Officers and Executive Committee Members: Rob Moore: President, Ken Weidman: Treasurer, Karen Boyd: Secretary, Parker Griffin: member-at-large Trustees: Kathy Bird, Les Dion, Bob Martens, Ed McNierney, Hans Mundahl, Greg Wagner Staff: Boyd Smith: Executive Director, Andrew Veilleux: Program Manager, Karen Bemis: Membership Manager, Mario Capozzoli: Relationship Strategy Coordinator Cover banner photo: Pam Sullivan. Newsletter design and layout: Carolyn Isaak.

Newfound Lake Region Association 10 N. Main St., Unit 1, Bristol, NH 03222 P: 603-744-8689 [email protected]

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Around the Lake Delphi Process Brings Towns Together

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ade possible through dedicated member support, in 2016 the NLRA continued mapping natural resources with GIS expert and veteran Newfound watershed partner Dan Sundquist. Dan is one of the country’s leading experts in GIS mapping and analysis of complex natural systems. He has been part of the Every Acre Counts watershed team since the beginning, when he was a senior staff member with the Forest Society. Now semi-retired with his own business, Greenfire GIS, Dan continues to use the latest data from State, federal and local sources to create maps that help towns balance smart growth with land protection. This summer, as part of the NLRA’s Three-year Plan, Dan guided thirty volunteers representing all five watershed towns in an exercise called the “Delphi process”. The Delphi process is a consensus-building tool that allows participants to choose their own values for natural resources such as wetlands, aquifers, and views. Individual votes were statistically analyzed and 18

Tiered Conservation Focus Areas Conservation Focus Area map produced through the 2016 Delphi process identifies top tiers for land conservation, and areas more suitable for smart development.

natural resources were ranked. The result is a map with three tiers of Conservation Focus Areas. Combined with Dan’s detailed narrative, the NLRA now has stateof-the-art tools for both land conserva-

tion and thoughtful development. Dan’s September 1 Delphi process presentation can be viewed at http://newfoundlake.org/ natural-resource-shared-vision-mapping.

Plymouth State University Partnership - “Maptionairre”

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n opportunistic meeting with PSU Professor Amy Villamagna rekindled our productive partnership with PSU that started with Brian Eisenhauer in the early days of Every Acre Counts. Amy and Brian, and their students Josiah Parry and Sean Donohoe, worked with two PSU students and the NLRA this spring, crafting an online survey that asked people both what and where they had opinions about development and conservation. Over 100 people responded to the survey, providing a trove of data that complements our ongoing conservation and planning initiatives.

During her presentation, Amy emphasized that PSU is currently focused on the process of collecting data with “Maptionairre,” a webbased tool that allows people to connect physical locations to their opinions. More work is planned to analyze the existing data, combine it with existing natural resource and town planning knowledge, and present the results in ways that benefit the community. The survey process and very pre-

liminary results are provided on Amy and Brian’s slides at http://newfoundlake.org/ natural-resource-shared-vision-mapping/.

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Around the Lake Reflecting on the Citizen Planner Project - Year 1 By Steve Whitman, Resilience Planning and Design, Project Partner

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n May 5, 2016 the NLRA kickedoff the Citizen Planner initiative with a meeting at the Bridgewater Town Hall. This three-year project is intended to provide training for interested watershed residents to become involved with land use planning and regulation efforts in their communities. Our approach is to provide a broader understanding of land use planning in NH, within the Newfound Watershed, and in each specific community. With this knowledge, residents will be able to

The NLRA Board of Trustees is excited to welcome Leslie (Les) Dion as our newest Trustee. Les is the Director of the Tapply-Thompson Community Center, serves on the Bristol Rotary and Select Board, and has served on the Budget Committee for the Newfound Regional School District and the Slim Baker Foundation. We have asked Les to join us several times over the years, and are grateful that she finally said “yes”.

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better control their Town’s future through thoughtful, engaged and informed actions. In June, individual workshops were held in each of the five communities to outline the regulatory process in New Hampshire communities, and to listen to each Town’s needs. Participants included a mix of property owners and municipal officials from each community. Some common themes emerged from our conversations. Every community expressed interest in preserving their historic and natural resources and overall quality of life, including clean water, healthy forests, and small-town feel. This aligns with town master plans, which form the basis of land use regulations. All communities were concerned by the lack of local enforcement of existing regulations, including building codes, logging operations, and new development Some communities realized that existing regulations do not support the vision and goals of their master plan. A relatively new topic that emerged in most of the workshops was hillside development and its impact on scenic views.

In 2017 we will continue working with all citizens interested in achieving local visions and shared Watershed goals. We will present and integrate our updated natural resource maps with town zoning and building patterns; develop checklists to guide application and permitting decisions; and draft innovative model regulations that are clear, concise and easy for all to understand and apply. If you care about your Town’s future, and want to make a positive difference, please support your Planning Board by attending meetings, learning about your Town’s issues, and expressing your desire that regulations support the Master Plan’s vision for the future. This is our Watershed and we are all Citizen Planners! Ed. Note: Steve Whitman is a top municipal planner in the State, teaches permaculture at PSU, and leads by example in the field of low-impact and thoughtful land use. Steve is an original partner in the Every Acre Counts project, and is the principal of Resilience Planning and Design, LLC.

Around the Lake Timber Harvest Workshop Best Practices for a Traditional Industry By Steve Bjerklie (NHTOA) and Boyd Smith

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n the Spring 2016 edition of The Monitor we reported on forestry practices in the watershed, in part due to concerns raised about several recent harvests. Working with the NH Timberland Owners Association (NHTOA), the State-wide trade group that represents landowners, foresters and the timber industry, the NLRA co-sponsored a workshop that included a field trip to a recent harvest site and classroom time with State forestry regulators. Over fifty forestry professionals attended, as well as a few landowners and local residents. The program began with a tour of a recent Bristol timber sale led by Shaun Lagueux, forester and NHTOA Board member. Shaun explained the attention to detail required to make a successful sale that conforms to applicable laws and regulations, including wetland rules. After the field trip, Rick Evans from the NH Department of Revenue Administration reviewed rules pertaining to the Intent to Cut and Report of Cut forms; Doug Miner, forest ranger with the NH Department of Resources and Economic Development, explained New Hampshire’s timber harvest laws including slash and basal area rules, timber trespass, and deceptive forest practice laws; and Linda Magoon from the NH Department of Environmental Services’ Wetlands Bureau discussed wetlands identification and the procedures and requirements for preparing permits. On paper this all might sound slightly, well, unexciting, but it was fascinating hearing from experts involved in the daily operations of this important industry. Shaun, Rick, Doug, and Linda presented information that is

Shaun explained the attention to detail required to make a successful sale that conforms to applicable laws and regulations, including wetland rules. at the heart of every successful, and legal, timber sale. Our thanks to the NHTOA for organizing this event in response to our requests, and to the Minot-Sleeper Library for so graciously sharing the use of their lovely and convenient community meeting space.

Forester Shaun Lagueux leading NHTOA forestry field trip in Bristol

At our 2016 Annual Meeting we thanked retiring Trustees Jennifer Berry, Andy Connolly, Trish Connolly, and Helga Stamp for their many years of service. The Board was pleased to present Helga with our highest level of volunteer recognition, the Founder’s Award, for her 12 years as a Trustee; leadership of the Lake Host program; participation in multiple committees, events and initiatives; and substantial financial contributions. Pictured left to right: Rob Moore, NLRA President; Andy Connolly, Trish Connolly, Jennifer Berry, and Helga Stamp; Boyd Smith, NLRA Executive Director

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Around the Lake From Hebron to Bristol – An Epic Swim by local reporter Donna Rhodes, with permission HEBRON – A distance of more than six miles, potential cramps, dehydration and a brisk wind were the least of the challenges faced by swimmer Mike Welsch when he set out to swim the length of Newfound Lake, a feat a few others have accomplished over the years. The biggest challenge was that he was doing it as an amputee. Welsch, a 57-year-old from Shirley, Mass., was a “grunt rifleman” in the U.S. Marine Corps, stationed at Camp Lejeune in 1980 when a night out on the town cost him his military career and altered the rest of his life. “I was out drinking one night, riding a motorcycle, when I got into an accident and lost my left leg,” he said. “It’s something I’ll pay for the rest of my life and I really want to get the message out there that you shouldn’t drink and drive. It can change everything for yourself or someone else.” His life has gone on with the same strength and determination that made him a Marine. Welsch said he has been a strong swimmer all his life, both with and without the aid of his left leg, therefore he began to challenge himself several years ago through long distance swimming. Among his many successful endeavors was a 1990 swim around Manhattan Island in New York, a distance of approximately 31 miles. It was perhaps the quickest way to get around Manhattan, he and his friends joked. He then decided a few years ago that he wanted to swim all the major lakes in New Hampshire and set off to conquer the distance of Lake Winnipesauke, Lake Sunapee and Squam Lake. It was at Squam Lake where he connected with Newfound Lake Region Association’s Program Director Andrew Veilleux

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Mike and friends on Avery-Crouse beach after swimming the length of Newfound Lake

and Executive Director Boyd Smith. Together they began to plan Welsch’s swim on Newfound Lake. This past July he “tested the waters” with a swim across the width of the lake, from the ledges on the west side to the Mayhew Turnpike. With that accomplishment under his belt, Welsch decided on a bigger and better challenge- a swim from Hebron to Bristol. On Aug. 17 he and his friends Tammy Scott and Bruce Benton traveled to Grey Rocks Conservation Area in Hebron where Veilleux and the NLRA’s pontoon boat Madelaine awaited them. A stiff wind that morning was in his favor. He observed that the direction could possibly help him along on his journey and so he began to prepare for an estimated six hours of swimming. “I’ll start out swimming for about 45 minutes then I’ll stop for a break and to hydrate,” Welsch explained. “After that I’ll

stop after every 30 minutes for fluids and nutrition so I don’t hit a wall.” His bag was packed with not only drinks and sandwiches but some pharmaceutical supplies as well. He said stretching his muscles during his breaks was important to going the distance but he also had ibuprofen and potassium to deal with any aches or cramps that can occur during any longdistance swim. “Other than that, it’s just one stroke at a time,” he said. With water and air temperatures both in the low-70’s, he tugged on his swim cap, unfastened his prosthetic leg then slid quietly into the water off Sleepy Hollow Beach just before 8:30 that morning. Veilleux was positioned at the controls of the pontoon boat, keeping it on pace with Welsch while Benton and Scott kept a close eye on his progress. At times that seemingly simple task beContinued on p 12

Around the Lake Grey Rocks - Popular Trails and Permaculture Planning

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ast year, NLRA member and land steward Les Mills and scores of volunteers completed a trail network with walkways and viewing platforms to open up the beauty of Grey Rocks to the public. This year we added informational signage to our welcome kiosk and the Floodplain Loop and Cockermouth River trails. Everyone that uses the trails gives glowing reviews of their experience, with many pleased to see their personal engraved boards on the Floodplain Loop Trail bridges. The signs found on the trails and platforms are a joint effort between the NLRA, Normandeau and Associates, Inc. (NAI), and Sullivan Creative. Sarah Allen and Ben Griffith of NAI are expert wetlands and wildlife biologists that visited the site several times to identify and describe examples of resident plants and animals that people are likely to see. Working with text and photos provided by NAI, Sullivan Creative designed the trail and platform signs to be readable, durable, and appropriate for

Steve Whitman discusses permaculture conceptual design with NLRA Trustee Hans Mundahl at Lake Week kickoff.

the natural surroundings. We want to thank NAI for donating several thousand dollars of their time to make this state-of-the-art project affordable, and Sullivan Creative for going above and beyond their required scope to provide design services. Taking the idea of permaculture-based restoration of the former marina facility to the next level, Steve Whitman and his

Welcome to Grey Rocks Conservation Area RIVER WALK TRAIL

Help Protect the Grey Rocks Experience

YOU ARE HERE

★ PARKING

PLATFORM

SANDY POINT TRAIL

PETS LEASHED AND POOP SCOOPED

PLATFORM

FLOODPLAIN LOOP TRAIL

Y

ILIT

FAC

We Live Here Too!

What is Allowed:

What is Not Allowed:

This Conservation Property Exists Thanks to: The McLane-Harper Family Charitable Foundation The Newfound Lake Region Association The Lakes Region Conservation Trust

creative partner Karen Fitzgerald (Fitz Design) developed a conceptual plan for Grey Rocks, including site restoration, and a possible future office/education center being explored by NLRA Trustees. Permaculture uses mindful practices that make the most of existing conditions to create a balanced, sustainable and integrated landscape. Through workshops, surveys, and annotations on a map posted at Grey Rocks, over 100 people provided input that informed the conceptual plan. The NLRA’s ultimate goal for Grey Rocks is to involve the Newfound community in building a public park and outdoor education facility that demonstrates how thoughtful, low-impact development can bring us closer to our environment. We expect to submit permits to the State and Town of Hebron this winter and begin foundational landscaping in 2017. Please let us know if you would like to play a part in making the Grey Rocks vision a reality.

Support the organization that made this area possible by becoming a member today.

NewfoundLake.org

New Grey Rocks kiosk welcomes and informs visitors.

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Programs Programs Report

by Andrew Veilleux, Program Manager

Water Quality Alerts This year we’ve seen several signs of declining water quality in Newfound Lake. They included bacteria alerts on Newfound Beaches, higher levels of algae, and alarming measurements in our water quality monitoring. Several factors led us to this point. At the start of the summer, we forecasted that there would be problems associated with an early ice-out and

EcoTours With so much sunny weather this summer, we had ideal conditions for a record number of EcoTours. Over 300 participants joined us for roughly 60 tours, beating years’ past by substantial margins. Add 40 WOW! campers and you can see why this was such a great year. EcoTour-ists gain knowledge that allows them to protect the lake and perhaps love it just a little more deeply. In future years we hope to streamline this program so that even more people can join us on the lake for education, scenery, and fun.

A captivated audience measuring the amazing clarity of Newfound Lake’s water with expert guide Jan Connor.

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low amounts of snowmelt feeding into the lake. Ice prevents many plants and algae from growing by shielding them from sun and keeping the water temperature down. Throughout the summer we saw mostly sunshine and only short heavy rains. The pattern caused dry and hot conditions and facilitated stormwater runoff. For those who aren’t familiar, NLRA volunteers monitor 35 locations on streams that feed Newfound Lake and 7 locations on the lake. Much like regular check-ups with a doctor, we check vitals while New Hampshire Dept. of Environmental Services tests for unhealthy bacteria. When we find “hot spots” in the streams, we diagnose the situation and brainstorm solutions. This summer’s symptoms included high bacteria levels at public use areas, higher water

temperatures, algae along shorelines, and unusual stream characteristics. Unfortunately, it is common for most or all of these symptoms to occur together. Our diagnosis: higher levels of development in the watershed, stormwater runoff, and hotter summers. While temperature is controlled by meteorological factors, the amount of nutrients and contaminants that enter the lake can be limited. We can make a difference through regulations at the town level (Citizen Planner), simple landscaping to reduce stormwater runoff (Newfound Youth Conservation Corp), and land conservation (Newfound Land Conservation Partnership). Everyone has the opportunity to contribute to this mission. For more information on any of our programs, visit newfoundlake.org.

Using instruments such as this, we can identify and locate problems throughout the watershed.

Programs WOW! Watershed Outdoor Week Does it Again! Our second annual Watershed Outdoor Week (WOW!) has come and gone with plenty of happy campers impatiently waiting to sign up again next year. This concept was born out of a partnership with TapplyThompson Community Center and the NLRA. When considering how to expand our partnership, we found it easy to coordinate a week of camp that encompasses both of our missions, as the Newfound Watershed, NLRA’s focus area of conservation, has so much to offer the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts. WOW! camp gives local youth a grand tour of the lake, islands, mountains, waterfalls and forests within the boundary of this area. The underlying goal is to have kids experience nature and learn to appreciate its many facets through hands-on and curiosity-driven education. We visited the Grey Rocks Conservation Area, Sculptured

WOW! Campers posing for a group photo at Audubon’s Paradise Point

Rocks Geologic Site, AMC’s Mt. Cardigan Lodge, Wellington State Park’s Cliff Island, Newfound Audubon Center, and the Slim Baker Lodge. We are truly blessed to live

in such a beautiful area and appreciate all of the great guides and helpers that made this week so special!

izer, more is not better! Lastly, timing is everything when fertilizing. Don’t apply in mid-summer or before a rain storm. The best time to fertilize is just after the grass turns green in the spring. Fertilizer is typically not required for a healthy New Hampshire landscape. Test your soil through UNH Cooperative Extension to find out how much fertilizer you actually need before adding chemicals to your lawn. Remember, no herbicides or pesticides are allowed within 25

feet of Newfound or its major tributaries. For more information about managing your landscape, visit extension.unh. edu/Sustainable-Landscapes-and-Turf/ Environmental-Turf-Management.

Is Fertilizer Evil? While homeowners may see some shortterm benefits from fertilizing their lawn, we can all see the harmful effects in the watershed. As with many other things, this is usually a case of operator error (we’re not pointing any fingers). It will benefit everyone to learn a little more about keeping your lawn green and water clean. There are three main takeaways about fertilizing lawns in New Hampshire. First, most lawns don’t need fertilizer, other than leaving grass clippings in place. These will slowly release the necessary nutrients. Second, it’s a well established fact that many homeowners who use fertilizer use too much. Just by trying to use up the whole bag we’re wasting money on fertilizer that will only end up in the lake. With fertil-

Fertilizer is typically not required for a healthy New Hampshire landscape.

Other Facts: • There are three numbers on every bag of fertilizer (i.e. 10-20-10). This indicates nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels in the fertilizer, in that order. Make sure the middle number is as low as possible. NH soil is already rich in phosphorus. • Around Newfound Lake, it is illegal to apply ANY fertilizer within 25 feet of the high water line. Beyond 25 but within 50 feet, only low phosphorus and slow release nitrogen (SRN) fertilizers may be used.

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Programs Images from Lake Week - Building Watershed Community

Young conservationist viewing Newfound plankton

Born as an idea by NLRA member Chris Keppelman and nurtured by the NLRA Membership Committee, “Lake Week” is designed to bring people together to savor and celebrate the natural beauty of Newfound. For the second year in a row, the NLRA created a series of events and activities that offered families, friends, young and old, a chance to explore the water and land with educational activities and programs. Based at our Grey Rocks conservation area, Lake Week launched on a lovely Saturday in late July and wrapped up at the inimitable Hebron Fair the following week. Grey Rocks activities included a family fishing clinic, led by Trish Connolly and her expert and loyal crew; paddling opportunities with Ray Cunningham and the Newfound Kayak Club; educational displays by Newfound Audubon and the NH Lakes Association; mini-EcoTours captained by Andy Connolly and guided by Jan Connor; and summer fare prepared by Les Dion and the Bristol Rotary club. We introduced the concept design plan for Grey Rocks permaculture landscaping, Continued next page

A beautiful fishing fly takes form under the patient hands of Max MacPherson

Starting the day with the Lake Week Volunteers

Volunteers Make Newfound Go ‘Round

Bristol Rotary Culinary Crew Ready to Serve!

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Volunteers make our organization so much stronger. The programs we provide to the community are designed to protect our lake and watershed from potential dangers that would ruin what Newfound provides to us. Volunteers are the heart of these programs and therefore dedicated protectors of your vacation home, recreational paradise, or year-’round residence. If you know any of these volunteers, say thank you!

Programs Lake Week, continued from previous page along with a sneak preview of a possible future education center and headquarters for the NLRA. During the week, guided hikes of watershed conservation lands were offered, as well as discounted EcoTours to give people an upclose-and-personal introduction to what lives in the lake, why it is so clean, and how we test for and maintain its high quality. Key goals for Lake Week were to raise awareness for the NLRA and to help build a stronger sense of community. Through our newly-enhanced communications ability and local press coverage by Donna Rhodes and Bob Martin, we reached new heights of awareness, reflected in web site visits increasing ten-fold, and Facebook “likes” by 50%, over the prior year. Our best measure of success was at the Hebron Fair, where, rather than ask who we are, people approached us and said - “Oh, you are the NLRA. I love what you are doing to protect the watershed!”.

Had a Great Day!

Newfound YCC and Water Watchdogs By Liza Tetley, NLRA Summer Staff The Newfound Youth Conservation Corps (Newfound YCC) and Water Watchdog program helps homeowners in the Newfound Watershed protect their land and water by preventing stormwater erosion and pollution. The Newfound YCC are NLRA staff trained in low-impact stormwater prevention practices, and “Water Watchdogs” are local landowners that put these practices into action on their own property. As part of our Three-year Plan, the NLRA will support landowner best practices with free labor and consulting, while owners pay for materials and promise to maintain their property. By working collaboratively with individual homeowners and local suppliers, we hope to encourage positive actions that prevent stormwater pollution. Launched this summer, Phase One included sending NLRA newsletters and delivering informational door-hangers to the ~1,400 properties located within 250 feet of Newfound Lake or one of its tributaries. The response was wholly positive and inspiring, with many exciting conversations and more than 20 landowners requesting property assessments! Phase Two began in August, and includes site assessments to identify stormwater reduction options. Thus far, our team (Liza Tetley and Geoff MacDonald, both recent PSU environmental science and policy graduates) has visited four properties, and homeowner enthusiasm is high! Land

Some of the tools of the Newfound YCC trade

owners and the Newfound YCC team are recognizing runoff issues and finding solutions together. You can learn more about the Newfound YCC program at www.Newfoundlake.org. If you have stormwater problems such as driveway erosion, basement flooding, or weeds and sediment growing on your beach, or if you have any questions about becoming a Water Watchdog, please contact the NLRA.

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Around the Lake AN EPIC SWIM, Continued from p. 6

came difficult though as huge white caps surged on the open lake, reaching nearly three-feet in height at times. “He’s going to need to wear a fluorescent cap in the future because his white swim cap kept blending in with the waves out there,” Scott later said. Everything else went Welsch’s way though. With no major issues and a good push from the winds, he surprised even himself when he swam up to Avery-Crouse Beach in just four hours and 42 seconds, two hours ahead of his expected arrival. “This is a great lake but really all the credit goes to these guys (Veilleux and Smith) at NLRA for making it all happen,” Welsch said as he sat on the sandy shoreline and caught his breath. The waves, he added, were amazing at times, reminding him of past ocean swims. But, he pushed on with the breaststroke and some freestyle swimming, riding those waves when he could and keeping his focus on the finish. “I saw this red boat here as we got toward the end and I just kept watching it get closer. That helped a lot,” he said. Looking back out across the lake toward the pass between Pike’s Point and Mayhew Island, he shook his head, saying it was hard to imagine that just a short time earlier he had been swimming through there. His friend agreed. “If I hadn’t seen it, I wouldn’t have believed it,” Benton said as he congratulated him once again. Welsch had no future swims in mind after conquering Newfound Lake last week but with more big lakes in the state still to be crossed off his list, other opportunities await when he’s ready for his next challenge. “All I can say right now is that the worst part of today was getting in the water this morning and the best part was climbing up on this beach this afternoon. As for anything else, we’ll wait and see,” he said with a grin.

Mike Welsch after his epic swim

Summer-y, Continued from p. 1

teams of volunteers and paid staff, introduced over 300 passengers to the marvels of Newfound. Departing from Grey Rocks, passengers learned about water sampling; collected and observed plankton (yes, they live here, too!); saw eagles, loons and other wildlife; and savored the view that only the middle of the Lake provides. Our goal is to keep the Madelaine and her crew busy, and we want to run Newfound EcoTours every day, all summer long. Many of you have taken an EcoTour – please help us welcome more people aboard by inviting your family and friends for a ride. Big thanks go to Greg and his crew at West Shore Marine for donating their time and expertise to keep the Madelaine in top form! Our ambitious Three-year Plan took off like a shot, as we launched Citizen Planner workshops, completed an intense natural resource mapping update, developed a concept plan to restore Grey Rocks to a more natural condition, and personally introduced roughly 1,400 landowners to the Newfound Youth Conservation Corps / Water Watchdog project. We also launched a new website, switched to more powerful membership software, and welcomed Karen Bemis as our new Membership Manager.

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The purpose of the Plan and its programs is to accelerate the pace of protection for the Newfound watershed, and to put its future under the control of those with the highest stake - the Newfound community! Our core strategies are to energize individual land stewardship, improve town regulatory control, and encourage land conservation. Each strategy is supported by one or more programs, all of which are designed to involve community members in shared, educational, “hands-on” experiences. The watershed remains vulnerable to poorly controlled development, individual choices that effect neighbors, and growing impacts of climate change. Most worrisome are the culture of individualism, and human tendency to not plan for the future, that continue to challenge our shared efforts for the common good. The NLRA has many resources to overcome these challenges, most importantly our members and others who hear our message. As Pogo said, “we have met the enemy, and he is us”. Using tools available through the NLRA and other local sources, let’s make peace with our environment and work together to protect what we all love; a pristine and peaceful gem of clean water, unscarred hillsides, and small-town feel.

Around the Lake My Newfound Experience By Morgan Nobles, NLRA Intern

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oming into this summer as an intern for the NLRA, I did not know what to expect. Boyd, Andrew, and I had talked on the phone, but my knowledge of nonprofit organizations was very small. I had a general idea of what the NLRA did, but no clue about what happened behind the scenes until I worked here. What surprised me most was that the entire organization is run solely by two paid staff (now three) and many eager volunteers. For the amount of areas and programs that the NLRA covers, it is truly impressive that it’s all run by just a few people. Throughout the summer I did anything and everything that the organization covers, but by far my favorite activity was the Citizen Planner meetings that we held within each town. This is obviously barring any time I got to spend out on the lake because

that’s always a great day. In Citizen Planner meetings we talked about each town’s planning regulations and it opened my eyes, especially within an area like Newfound. From the surface it seems so simple that everyone would want to protect the lake and make it first priority, but so many people want to live on the lake that you run out of space appropriate to build on. From the meetings I learned that most towns have some land-use regulations, but they are not enforced, and people take

In Citizen Planner meetings we talked about each town’s planning regulations and it opened my eyes, especially within an area like Newfound.

Early-fall view of Newfound’s north end from Audubon’s Ash Cottage in Hebron

advantage of them. I had also just covered this topic in one of my classes so it was a great hands-on experience. Transitioning from just a resident to also a voice of the watershed was exciting, and I can’t thank the NLRA enough for letting me tag along for the summer. It not only was educational for myself but also my whole family, and I can guarantee that my family will be actively participating in NLRA events next summer as well. Ed. note: Morgan was a great help and a pleasure to work with. We hope she will join us again next summer!

Morgan and friends at Lake Week kickoff

The Monitor / Fall 2016xxxx13

Membership A Family Tradition by Jane Kendall Several years ago, my husband David Dietz and I realized that a key component to implementing any long term strategy to protecting the Newfound lake watershed is to engage our youngsters in learning about it, and actually “owning it.” We reasoned that if we enlisted them as members of NLRA, then the chances would be even better! So, a few years ago, we enrolled our grandchildren, Carter and Charlie, in NLRA. They are now custodians, alongside us. A nice addition to this family initiative, reported by Boyd last year, is that both Carter and Charlie, as Newfound lake summer campers, have been involved with clean-up efforts at the NLRA’s Grey Rocks property. We are sure that as members of NLRA, they felt additional pride as they further contributed to supporting the organization’s important goals. So, this Fall, or at holiday time, make the gift of an NLRA membership to a child or grandchild. They will get a nice letter from NLRA, the newsletter, where their names listed as contributing members, and their lives as future philanthropists will be launched. Maybe this will initiate a special Young Conservationist Membership category. Who knows? We hope that by this winter we will see the names of at least 20 youngsters on the membership list, maybe 50. Happy gifting! Jane and David

Annual Fund and New Three-year Plan Challenge Our fall appeal for financial support, the Annual Fund, accounts for nearly two-thirds of our total member contributions. Your year-end donation makes the difference for our continued successful operations, provides an opportunity to maximize your annual tax deductions, and puts you in a position of philanthropy in which you can take great pride. Last year our Annual Fund was hugely supplemented by contributions to our Three-year Plan, successfully launched by the $100,000 challenge match from Steve and Cheryl Jonas that many of you responded to. This year at our annual Leadership Celebration, Steve and Cheryl delivered quite a surprise. After testifying to the power of their lake experience in bringing their children and grandchildren even closer together, Steve announced that he and Cheryl will offer another challenge to support the Plan: $50,000 to the NLRA if others can increase their giving for a total of $50,000 or more! Our Annual Fund and Three-year Plan appeal will arrive in your mailbox before

Cheryl and Steve surprise their friends while sharing a sunset at Glenn Dorr’s lovely lakehouse.

Thanksgiving. Please be prepared to continue your existing level of support, and to respond to this latest and most generous challenge to fully fund the Plan. The NLRA is committed to making the best use of your investments of trust and money to protect the Lake and its land. We hope you remain confident in our abilities, and will join Steve and Cheryl in supporting our ambitious goals and programs to protect what we all love.

Our Annual Fund and Three-year Plan appeal will arrive in your mailbox before Thanksgiving. Please be prepared to continue your existing level of support, and to respond to this latest and most generous challenge to fully fund the Plan. 14xxxxThe Monitor / Fall 2016

Membership We Ran Our Buns Off for Newfound Water Trail The Run Your Buns Off (RYBO) charity race is a marvelous tradition, started seven years ago over a shared workout by Garlyn Manganiello and Audrey Goudrey. A 4.2 mile run / walk, timed race that starts and ends at Basic Ingredients in Bristol, the event was conceived as a way to bring people together, raise funds for local nonprofits, and burn the 420 calories contained in one of Garlyn’s famous Basic Ingredients sticky buns.

this year’s race, the seventh and best attended to date, will support the construction of the water trail as well as additional hiking trail improvements on the Slim Baker property at Inspiration Point. NLRA staff Andrew Veilleux and Karen Bemis, with Trustees Rob Moore, Ken Weidman and Bob Martens, took part in and helped out on race day. Respected ecologist Dr. Rick Van de Pol is doing the field work to identify highlights along the planned route, and we hope to create an informational, self-guiding brochure and install the educational markers in time for the 2017 water season. The effort to make this race such a success was impressive. We are deeply grateful to the RYBO team for selecting the NLRA as a recipient of this year’s donation, and encourage everyone to join us next year to Run Your Buns Off !

The NLRA is extremely pleased to welcome Karen Bemis as our new Membership Manager. Karen and her husband Paul raised their four children on Newfound Lake over the past 25 summers, and have recently made their seasonal home a full-time residence. Please join us in welcoming Karen to the NLRA team!

Bob Martens crossing the finish line with his trademark smile

A Perfect Day Innovative Benefit for Business Members

This year, Dawn Lemieux of Newfound Audubon rekindled the idea of a “water trail” connecting Paradise Point to Grey Rocks and Hebron Marsh, an idea initiated by Doug McLane and explored by NLRA and Newfound Audubon a few years ago. The NLRA submitted a proposal for funding to the RYBO team, and we were off to the races! Registration fees and raffle funds from

NLRA will be testing a new Business Member benefit called “A Perfect Day”. Each month, we will take turns featuring local businesses to highlight food, lodging, activities and services that add up to A Perfect Day. Our goal is to bring additional patronage to our business community, that truly understands how Newfound is the economic engine of the area and supports our efforts to protect the watershed.

Andrew at the NLRA table after running his buns off in 42 minutes

The Monitor / Fall 2016xxxx15

Non-Profit Organization US Postage PAID Concord, NH Permit No. 192

Monitor

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Newfound Lake Region Association 10 N. Main St. Unit 1 Bristol, New Hampshire 03222 Telephone: 603-744-8689 [email protected] ADDRESS Service Requested

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Membership Form Member support is vital to help us protect Newfound Lake. Please renew your membership or join NLRA today! Please mail this form and your check, payable to NLRA, to: NLRA, 10 North Main St., Unit 1, Bristol, NH 03222 Name Email address

Permanent Mailing Address

Summer Mailing Address

n Please check here if you are interested in receiving email communications (web-based newsletters, annual report, news updates). Membership Categories: n n n n n n n

Steward $2000+ Newfounder $1000+ Sustaining $500+ Supporting $250+ Maintaining $100+ Family $50+ Individual $35+

Volunteer opportunities: Please check all that apply. n Lake Host/Invasive Species Protection n Water Quality Monitoring/Education n Watershed Mapping/Land Conservation n Events/Publications/Outreach n Membership Development n Strategic Planning

You can join online at www.newfoundlake.org!