Photo by Andy Gold Restoring Stockbridge Bowl Not a Member? Come Join Us Anyway! Richard Seltzer, SBA President Annual Meeting Four years ago, at our annual meeting at The Mount, you Stockbridge Association heard us describe the “tool box” of seven alternative means available to combat invasive plants in Stockbridge Bowl. At Saturday, July 28, 2018 our annual meeting last summer, you heard a vigorous plea from one member strongly advocating one of those 1:15 pm to 3:30 pm methods, namely the use of herbicides to control invasive BERKSHIRE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL Eurasian Water Milfoil. Furey Hall - Kim & James Taylor Music Performance Room 55 Interlaken Road (Rte. 183), Stockbridge Another part of that annual meeting was a presentation by Simon’s Rock professor, Tom Coote, telling us more than 1:15 pm: Registration and Refreshments Annual Meeting most of us ever knew about the morphology and life cycle of 2:00 pm: the rare and endangered snail that lives in our lake. Theme: Discussing New Directions to Restore Stockbridge Bowl Both discussions are particularly relevant now. By-Law Amendment: Executive Committee Quorum and Powers. For proposed change, please see: www.theSBA.org Come...Celebrate Progress! Continued on Page 2 The endangered mollusk, M. lustrica, is prolific in seven states west of Massachusetts and is not ranked as rare or endangered in any of those states or by the EPA (even before Scott Pruitt). However, it is at the edge of its habitat here in Stockbridge, a fact that inspired the Natural Heritage Endangered Species Program (NHESP) of Massachusetts to offer its succor to this little mollusk. We met with senior staff from NHESP and reminded them that we had secured their permission a few years ago to install a diversion pipe necessary to have a 5.5-foot winter drawdown. We also told the regulators that we needed to dredge sediment that had accumulated behind several man-made obstructions in the outlet of the Bowl to prevent these areas from becoming a bog. The NHESP staff told us that they had changed their minds. A 5.5-foot drawdown would now be impermissible, and they recommended herbicides as a more benign treatment for Milfoil. The biologist-regulators now believed that dredging behind Kwuniikwat Island would destroy habitat of the protected snail. Moreover, a 5.5-foot drawdown would also kill M. lustrica, which could not crawl out to deeper water. When we told NHESP that the Stockbridge Conservation Commission has historically been opposed to herbicides, they told us three things: 1. Herbicides have been safely used in more than 300 Massachusetts lakes and ponds for more than a quarter of a century to control Milfoil. (This includes Lakes Onota and Pontoosuc in Pittsfield, Goose Pond in Lee and Otis Reservoir.) 2. Based on nearly four decades of experience, NHESP has concluded that herbicides are safe for fish, people and non-target plants, and they are specifically safe for M. lustrica. Photo by Andy Gold 3. Finally, under Massachusetts law, local governments, including Stockbridge, are completely preempted by state statute from regulating the use of herbicides. Going forward, instead of giving up At our regular June 2018 board meeting, the SBA directors reviewed the history of our work to control Milfoil and reduce sedimentation behind Kwuniikwat Island and down the outlet. Rather than be stymied by NHESP and its protected snail, the SBA board voted unanimously to proceed simultaneously down three paths: 1. Fund an aquatic plant survey, which is preliminary to applying herbicides in the main body of the lake 2. Hire a hydro-rake operator to clear out the shallow areas adjacent to docks behind Kwuniikwat Island and down the outlet 3. Dredge a channel down the outlet in areas not inhabited by M. lustrica A representative from the leading licensed herbicide applicator in the Commonwealth will participate in this summer’s SBA annual meeting to describe the intended process and answer your questions. [2] New Board Members Phyllis (Patti) Klein, Chair, Governance (Nominating) Committee Board and Officer Changes For the 2017-18 year, our Individual Director ranks grew by three, with the election of Gregg Wellenkamp, Joan Cohen, and Marie Raftery. Lionel Delevingne replaced Marie Raftery as the representative from the Laurel Hill Association. We welcome them to the board. Please see their impressive biographies below. Matt Mandel, Will Laidlaw, and Sally Wittenberg were reelected to 3-year terms and became members of the Class of 2020. We are deeply saddened to announce the loss last August of our much-appreciated Individual Director Lauren Komack. In 2011, Lauren, a resident of Interlaken Crossroads, gave permission to cross her property with heavy construction equipment to install a silt fence at the site of what was to become the Diversion Drain. In addition, she was a generous individual donor to the Save Stockbridge Bowl Campaign. Her commitment to the SBA was reflected by her love of kayaking on the lake. In her honor, the Board voted to name the meadow in Bullard Woods the Komack Meadow. A plaque will be installed there in the near future. At the Annual Meeting, last July 29, three officer positions were extended from 1 to 2 years, in accordance with our new Bylaws. Laurie Dubner was reelected Secretary, Richard (Rich) Gerszberg became our Treasurer for 2 years, and my position as Vice-President was renewed. Our volunteer board provides the “people power” for the many SBA projects, which include support (financial and otherwise) to the Town in implementing its Lake Management Plan and funding for the Invasive Species boat wash at the Stockbridge Bowl Boat Ramp on Rte. 183. Also, the SBA manages Bullard Woods and the Island, our properties on the lake. We seek Board members who can assist our organization in a variety of ways, attend our mainly spring-fall monthly meetings and hold a position as an officer or chair or serve on at least one of our various committees. The personal commitment of time by our board members is essential for our volunteer not-for-profit organization. One does not have to be a board member to join one of our committees and otherwise help us with whatever “job” is at hand—including organizing our Annual Meeting each summer. If you are able to contribute your time in any way, please contact me at [email protected]. We are always in need of helping hands and new ideas. It is with great appreciation that we welcome our newest board members, and we are grateful for all who help to keep the Stockbridge Bowl Association alive and well. Gregg Wellenkamp has had extensive experience with Joan Cohen, originally from Mount Vernon, NY, received her Stockbridge Bowl in the course of constructing numerous BA from Cornell University and an MBA from New York single-family homes on its shores since 1996. Prior to moving University. She worked with technology companies, first as a to Great Barrington, Gregg served as a hardware and programmer before moving into sales, strategic relations, and development engineer in the automobile industry, after executive-level marketing. After her retirement, Joan earned an receiving BS and Master of Engineer Degrees from Cornell MFA in writing from Vermont College. She and her husband University. While living in Michigan, Gregg was involved with a Bruce raised their family in Newton, MA, and bought a vacation lake association seeking to control various invasive plants, cottage in Beachwood in 1977. Two years ago, they made including Eurasian Water Milfoil. He has property on the Bowl Stockbridge their permanent residence and now live in the and has assisted the SBA for many years before joining the home they built on the west side of the Bowl. Joan is currently board. Having lived in Great Barrington since 1968, he has a writer and her first novel will be published next year. “The seen the silt accumulate and invasive species proliferate in lake has been an important part of our lives for forty years, and most of the Bowl. This degradation of the lake has driven his I believe the SBA board plays a key role in preserving dedication to the restoration of the lake. Stockbridge Bowl for future generations. I am glad to participate in that endeavor.” Joan is now the new editor of the SBA Newsletter. STOCKBRIDGE BOWL ASSOCIATION | SUMMER 2018 [3] Marie Raftery joined the board several years ago as the Laurel Lionel Delevingne, the SBA’s Laurel Hill representative, and his Hill Association representative. Shortly after leaving that position wife, are residents of Stockbridge and live on Wheatleigh Drive, in April 2018, she was elected to the board as an individual with private access to Stockbridge Bowl. A native of France, Lionel director. Marie and her husband, Keith, have lived in Stockbridge has lived in Western MA since 1973. He enjoys daily walks with his for over 50 years. Their three children have enjoyed the Bowl to dog through Bullard Woods. Lionel is eager to bring to the SBA swim, boat, and even race in “The Josh.” A retired teacher, Marie board his 40-year-long career experience as an independent works in the summer as an invasive species monitor at the photographer and journalist covering chiefly environmental Stockbridge Bowl boat ramp. She is a Stockbridge Planning Board matters. Credits have included Mother Jones, Die Zeit, and Figaro member, Stockbridge representative to the Berkshire Regional magazines. In the 80’s and 90’s, Lionel was the New York Times Planning Commission, Chair of the Regional Issues Committee, travel photographer for the Berkshires. He is the author of several and member of Stockbridge Land Trust and the Laurel Hill books, most recently To the Village Square, from Montague to Association.