Contacts:
Hamilton, NY, March 22, 2016 - The second annual Watercraft Inspection Steward Program Leaders workshop will be held on Friday, April 29 as part of the 2016 The Water is Great in New York State Conference in Hamilton, NY. New York Sea Grant and statewide partners are hosting the workshop to help new and existing watercraft inspection program leaders standardize efforts to engage recreational boaters in slowing the spread of aquatic invasive species.
The workshop will be held on Friday, April 29 from 9:30am to 4:45pm at the White Eagle Banquet and Conference Center in Hamilton, NY. The registration deadline for the workshop is April 20. Conference registration is required with the conference host, the New York State Federation of Lake Associations, at www.nysfola.org.
The Watercraft Inspection Steward Program Leaders Workshop agenda includes presentations on volunteer and paid staff programs start-up, sustainable funding solutions, decontamination techniques and legislation related to watercraft inspection. Sessions will also cover emerging aquatic invasive species already in New York waters, and standardized data collection and use.
Workshop participants will receive a copy of the 81-page, illustrated New York State Watercraft Inspection Steward Program Handbook developed and published by New York Sea Grant in cooperation with the Cornell University Cooperative Extension Invasive Species Program with funding, in part, by the New York State Environmental Protection Fund. The Handbook includes a Watercraft Inspection Steward Training and Field Guide.
Planning partners for the April 29 workshop include Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper; the Finger Lakes Institute; Lake Champlain Basin Program; New York State Department of Environmental Conservation; New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program; Finger Lakes Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management; Catskills Regional Invasive Species Partnership; St. Lawrence Eastern Lake Ontario Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management; Western New York Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management; and Paul Smith’s College.
For more information on the Watercraft Inspection Steward Program Leaders Workshop, contact Brittney Rogers, New York Sea Grant Watercraft Inspection Program Leaders’ Trainer, at 315.331.8415 or NYSDEC Invasive Species Coordination Unit, isinfo@dec.ny.gov; 518.402.9405.
NYSG Launch Steward collects data from a fisherman after
retrieving his boat from the water. Photo by: Brittney Rogers
A fisherman local to Henderson Harbor dries his boat after a
long day on the water to ensure that there are no aquatic hitch hikers
present. Photo by: Brittney Rogers
Watercraft inspection engages boaters in learning how they can help slow
and stop the spread of aquatic invasive species by checking their boats
and trailers for debris that may contain AIS. Photo: New York Sea Grant
A boater checks an area on his boat trailer that can snag aquatic debris. Photo: New York Sea Grant
More Info: New York Sea Grant
New York Sea Grant (NYSG), a cooperative program of Cornell University
and the State University of New York, is one of 33 university-based
programs under the National Sea Grant College Program (NSGCP) of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The NSGCP
engages this network of the nation’s top universities in conducting
scientific research, education, training and extension projects designed
to foster science-based decisions about the use and conservation of our
aquatic resources. Through its statewide network of integrated
services, NYSG has been promoting coastal vitality, environmental
sustainability, and citizen awareness about the State’s marine and Great
Lakes resources since 1971.
New York Sea Grant maintains Great Lakes offices at SUNY Buffalo, the
Wayne County Cooperative Extension office in Newark and at SUNY Oswego.
For updates on Sea Grant activities: www.nyseagrant.org has RSS, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube links. NYSG also offers a free e-list sign up via www.nyseagrant.org/coastlines for its flagship publication, NY Coastlines/Currents, which is published several times a year.
