LGLC FY18 Annual Report

As a land trust working to protect the water quality of Lake George, our greatest partner is the land itself.

A healthy forest, complete with wetlands, vernal pools, and diverse vegetation, is the most effective tool we have to protect Lake George. By permanently conserving large areas of healthy forests, we allow whole ecosystems to thrive, which in turn naturally prevents stormwater issues, reduces the amount of fertilizers and road salt entering the lake, and provides us with the beauty and majesty we call home.

We are once again honored to reflect on a year filled with great accomplishments and generous friends, all for the protection of Lake George.

Land trusts are in the business of protecting beloved resources forever. The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) works to forever protect the land that protects the lake. This requires a skilled and experienced staff, strong leadership from our Board, collaboration from our national network, our partners from around the lake, and most importantly, people like you who make this work financially possible.

Here are a few of the highlights of what we accomplished with your help in FY18 to forever protect this special place:

• Permanently protected another 100 acres of forest, wetlands, habitat, and scenic viewshed;

• Thanks to the generosity of the Lawler family, we opened the Leeming Jelliffe Preserve in Huletts Landing;

• Managed and maintained over 7,800 acres of land, including more than 35 miles of trails;

• Treated or removed a variety of terrestrial invasives on 5 cumulative acres watershed-wide.

Ensuring permanence also means having a strong organization, today and for the future. Thanks to you we are making sure that what you have made possible will still be enjoyed by generations to come. The LGLC endowments have increased 21.9% in total value this fiscal year.

Additionally, as members of the Lake George community, we’re proud to contribute to economic vitality by drawing visitors and residents to our downtowns and throughout communities by organizing events and opportunities such as:

• the LGLC’s annual Hike-A-Thon, which involved nearly 700 people;

• 34 Walks & Talks programs held throughout the year, actively engaging 2,116 people;

• volunteer activities in the field or supporting the organization’s development and outreach efforts. More than 2,400 hours were spent by 188 volunteers in FY18 to help the LGLC.

The LGLC is the only local land trust that is working hard to specifically protect the land within the Lake George watershed, and proud to be recognized nationally for our work. Both the Land Trust Accreditation Commission and the Land Trust Alliance have identified the LGLC as one of the top organizations among the 1,000 organizations working in the field of land protection nation-wide. This recognition is based on our deep knowledge and experience and for conducting business efficiently, ethically, and within a strict code of nationally recognized standards.

Your support is crucial to our ability to continue providing permanent protection for Lake George. Because of you, future generations will be able to enjoy clean water, scenic views, and unfragmented forests. We are grateful for all that you have done to make FY18 a successful year.

Thank you!

FY18 CONSERVATION

100 acres of land (96% forested)

600 feet of lake shoreline

2,180 feet of stream corridors

$1.2 million invested*

*Plus $250,000 in value from donated land and bargain sale.

The forest on the land we protected in FY18 filters enough water each year to fill 1,000,000 bathtubs.

FY18 PROTECTED LANDS

Diamond Point Uplands CE, 48 acres, donation

Bolton Upland, addition; 3 acres, donation

Pilot Knob Pocket Park; <1 acre, donation

Huletts Landing CE; 4 acres

Leeming Jelliffe Preserve; 33 acres

How fortunate that Lake George drew our grandparents to her shores. Water has a remarkable way of bringing people together, softening the differences that divide us and strengthening our common ground. My cousin Sandy and I agree that it is nothing short of “magic.”

Having recently worked with the LGLC, it is abundantly clear that we owemuch to their continuing efforts to ensure healthy lake environmentswhile encouraging strong community stewardship."

– Sylvia Lawler, Landowner, conservation easement holder

**The protection of wetlands such as these is essential to protecting the water quality of Lake George.**
credit: LGLC

STEWARDSHIP

110 miles walked by staff on trails

5 acres of land watershed-wide actively managed for a variety of terrestrial invasives, with plants being treated and/or manually removed.

permanently protected permanently maintained

60 feet of bog bridges constructed and installed

53 miles of boundary lines monitored on LGLC property and conservation easements

**Activities such as this guided hike at the Pinnacle were attended by more than 2,000 people**
credit: LGLC

**Volunteers led programs to educate and engage the public of all ages.**
credit: LGLC

**The second annual Amy's Race was another example of using the land to reach a broad audience with our mission.**
credit: Brendan Murnane

We are grateful to LGLC’s role in protecting the land that protects the lake, and are very impressed with the dedication and passion of the LGLC staff, as well as all of the members we have met.

The Wednesday evening educational sessions provide insight into the special environment in which we live. These events, combined with the guided hikes, deepen our appreciation and understanding of this special place."

– William Schmidt, Event participant, Bolton resident

**Participants in the 2018 Hike-A-Thon rest at the Godwin Preserve.**
(c) Amanda Metzger

OUTREACH & ENGAGEMENT

In FY18, the LGLC hosted, organized, produced, and worked with partners to provide information and engagement opportunities to residents and guests in communities throughout the Lake George region.

4,000 followers on social media

2,400 hours donated by 188 volunteers

2,116 participants in 34 public programs

19,000 visits to LGLC parks and preserves

The number of documented log-ins during FY18 is an increase of 2,750 from last year. This figure, however, does not account for the many users who did not sign in, nor the properties that we manage but are owned by New York State (Cat and Thomas Mts. and Pole Hill Pond). Taking these into account, a more accurate estimate is 30,000.

FY18 DISTRIBUTION OF HIKERS BY PRESERVE:

Pilot Knob 46%, Pinnacle 36%, Cook Mt. 8%, Amy's Park 3%, Anthony's Nose 3%

1% each (combined on chart for a total of 4%): Godwin, Gull Bay, Last Great Shoreline, and Terzian

FINANCIAL SUMMARY

Presented by George S. Morris, Vice-President of Finances & Treasurer

The LGLC’s business is protecting the land that protects the lake in perpetuity. This work is labor-intensive and requires a staff with a wide range of expertise in order to execute our programs.

• Conservation: We understand the land and how it interacts with the water, and how human and natural threats to the land—past, present, and future—affect the role it plays within the watershed.

• Community: We work with a diverse group of landowners, thousands of people who visit our preserves, thousands of people who attend our events, our partners and volunteers, and the people who live in our communities year-round.

• Engagement: We put together dozens of events and educational programs each year to reach our supporters and educate others about our work and the wonders of this special place. We also create publications and many other forms of communications that the organization sends out to inform the public about our work.

The public support we receive for our work is a testament to our science-led approach to conservation and efforts to engage the community. That support will ensure that the land is safeguarded forever.

We strive to maintain a strong balance sheet that can fulfill our commitment to care for the land in perpetuity. During FY18 we reduced our debt by 30% and we plan to reduce debt in FY19 to near zero.

Our balance sheet includes financial assets of more than $4 million in the form of endowments, an opportunity fund, reserves for stewardship and operations.

Our financial strength enables us to move quickly and flexibly on new opportunities for land protection and to be around for the long term as stewards of more than 5,000 acres under our management. We believe that the LGLC provides an extraordinary, long-term return on the donations, grants and other forms of support we receive—in large part because we are built to be around for the long haul.

Thank you for your trust in us.

The LGLC is audited by an independent certified accounting firm every year. Our most recent audit and other financial documents are available for download at: lglc.org/financials-disclosures.

Complete financials available in the non-mobile version of this report. Please view on a desktop or printed copy.

FY18 SUPPORT

1,159 supporters in FY18

333 first-time donors

57% of returning donors increased their giving total from the previous year

45 in-kind gifts of goods and services valued at $16,000

**Ribbon-cutting ceremony held to mark the opening of the new Leeming Jelliffe Preserve in Huletts Landing.**
credit: Friends of Historic Huletts Landing

82 cents from every dollar given to the LGLC in FY18 has gone to land acquisition and programs that protect the land that protects the lake.

FY18 DISBURSEMENTS

Land Acquisition and Programs — 82%

Management — 10%

Fundraising — 8%

FY18 SOURCES OF SUPPORT

Donations for Capital Projects 53%

Donations for Operations — 20%

Program Revenue and Long- Term Investments — 16%

Grants (Government and Private) — 10%

Rent/Other — 1%

HOW DOES THE LGLC COMPARE NATIONWIDE?

WE ARE:

1 of 1,000 U.S. land trusts working to provide pure drinking water, clean air, healthy forests, and places to reflect and recreate.

1 of 400 accredited by the Land Trust Commission

1 of 187 top accredited land trusts invited to join the LTA’s elite Leadership Program

As a leader in the land trust community, the Lake George Land Conservancy is one of just 187 land trusts nationwide (out of 1,000) that have been invited to participate in the Land Trust Alliance’s Wentworth Leadership Program. We are a proud investor in the LGLC’s success and recognize its commitment to continuous improvement, strategic conservation and community engagement."

– Renee Kivikko, Vice President of Education, Land Trust Alliance

Information provided within this report is specific to the 2018 Fiscal Year (FY18), which ran July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018.

The year’s conservation successes were made possible thanks to many generous individuals, families, foundations, and organizations who supported the LGLC and its efforts. We are sincerely grateful for the financial contributions, volunteered time, and professional services that help to protect the land that protects the lake.

Complete lists of all donors, tribute recipients, and volunteers are available to view and download at www.lglc.org.

Printed copies are also available by request. Please call us at 518-644-9673 or email Helen at hbartonbenedict@lglc.org to request a copy by mail.

You can also go to www.lglc.org for information about recent projects, events, and how you can be a part of the LGLC’s efforts to protect the land that protects the lake.

Since 1988 the Lake George Land Conservancy has worked with willing landowners and other partners to protect the world-renowned water quality of Lake George and to permanently preserve the natural, scenic, historic and recreational resources of the Lake George region.

Through conservation efforts including land acquisition, conservation easements, and innovative community collaborations, the LGLC and its partners have permanently protected 10,859 acres of land and 6.5 miles of lake shoreline.

4905 Lake Shore Dr. | P.O. Box 1250 Bolton Landing, NY 12814-1250

518-644-9673 | www.lglc.org

Connect with us! @HikeLakeGeorge