Trustees reauthorize Friends of Georgia Pond to use aquatic weed harvester

Will Bowman of Land Use Ecological Services asked the trustees to reauthorize annual use of an aquatic weed harvester in Georgia Pond, saying the vessel has been used experimentally since 2016 to remove decaying plant and macroalgal biomass that can fuel late‑season harmful cyanobacterial blooms.

Bowman recapped past removals of 30,000–95,000 pounds per year in early pilot years and noted the decline in biomass removed since then; in 2025 the harvester removed about 12,250 pounds. He described operating windows (June–September), the harvester's 35‑foot vessel, launch/unload at Cove Hollow Road, and best management practices to reduce bycatch and avoid substrate disturbance.

"The Friends are seeking authorization to continue annual aquatic harvesting for a five‑year period commencing this coming year in 2026," Bowman said. He emphasized that water‑quality and biological monitoring by the Gobler and Peterson labs at Stony Brook would continue and that annual reports would be submitted to trustees and the NY DEC.

A trustee moved to approve reauthorization consistent with past trustees' resolutions and DEC permitting; another trustee seconded the motion and the board voted in favor. The trustees did not attach additional conditions beyond continued monitoring and annual reporting.