GRAND ISLE — The Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) is hiring up to twelve boat launch stewards to work at New York and Vermont public boat launch access areas during the steward program’s 12th season. The stewards help to reduce the spread of aquatic invasive species by identifying high-risk boats for courtesy inspection and providing information about invasive species spread prevention.
During the first ten years of the program, LCBP stewards surveyed nearly 83,000 boats and spoke to more than 181,000 visitors about steps they could take to ensure their boats and equipment were cleaned, drained, and dried. Over 80 percent of visitors to Lake Champlain reported that they are trying to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species.
 “We look forward to continuing the strides made in the boat launch steward program in 2017. With stewards now stationed on Missisquoi Bay in Québec distributing outreach materials translated into French, we are now  sharing the same messages all around the shores of Lake Champlain,” said Meg Modley, LCBP Aquatic Invasive Species Management Coordinator. “We also look forward to the expansion of boat decontamination station availability at New York and Vermont launches in 2018. This important work will help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species from high-risk vessels into the many lakes in the Basin that don’t have invasives.”
From more information about the boat launch steward program contact Meg Modley at the Lake Champlain Basin Program at 802-372-3213. Applications are due to the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission by Friday, March 9. Follow this link to submit an application: lcbp.org/about-us/careers/.