RANGELEY — Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust will conduct free boat inspections at public boat launches in the Rangeley Lakes region as part of an educational program that teaches the public to inspect boats and trailers for invasive plants and animals.
It’s the 16th year for the inspections, which are funded through voters in local municipalities, as well as through grants and donations.
Inspectors cover launches on the larger bodies of water including Cupsuptic, Mooselookmeguntic and Rangeley lakes.
The trust has talked to more than 20,000 boaters and visitors over the last 16 summers, according to a news release. “Our inspectors are often the first people our visitors interact with in the region. We arm them to be ambassadors and knowledgeable about the community. They are also the ‘front-line of defense’ for invasive plants,” the release said.
Invasive plants can be devastating on a water body and to the local economy. A tiny fragment or a single seed carried on a boat trailer or fishing gear can start an infestation. Invasive aquatic species are self-sustaining and can double in size within a single year, often outcompeting beneficial native plants. They have no natural predators and left alone can fill in shorelines with mats of thick fronds, making lakes unsuitable for swimming or boating.
Rangeley’s lakes and ponds are a extremely valuable economic resource as well as a stunning natural resource, the trust said. They contribute to the enjoyment of many Maine residents, they help relive property tax burdens on local people in rural communities, and they support substantial economic activity. Protecting water quality is beneficial to everyone who cares for the Rangeley Lake Region.
