Waitsfield, Vt. The Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT) will be installing its first paddler specific 
aquatic invasive spread prevention signage at Louie’s Landing boat launch in the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge this Thursday, September 13 at 10:00 am. The public is invited to attend this installation and dedication ceremony to help kick off the installation of 40 signs throughout the Lake Champlain Basin. The signage will be strategically placed along the trail corridor, including the following water bodies: the Saranac River (NY), Lake Champlain (NY/VT), and the Missisquoi River (VT/QC).
The signage is the culmination of a year-long project funded by a grant made possible by the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) and the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission. The LCBP is a federal, state, provincial, and local initiative to restore and protect Lake Champlain and its surrounding watershed for future generations.
Landslide Natural Resource Planning facilitated the development of the text and layout used on the signs. Feedback was compiled from paddlers, land managers, and aquatic invasive experts to create simple and concise instruction and information on how to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species. This effort culminated in some of the first of its kind messaging and instruction for paddlers in the fight against aquatic invasives species.
Aquatic invasives are non-native plants and animals that can clog our waterways, displace native species, and cause serious economic and environmental damage or harm human health. Through this project NFCT continues its mission to educate paddlers and work to help prevent the spread of aquatic invasives by human powered recreationists.
The Northern Forest Canoe Trail is the longest paddling trail in the nation and runs from Old Forge, New York through Vermont, Quebec, and New Hampshire to Fort Kent, Maine. In 2011 the Trail was named “Best Canoe Trail” by Outside Magazine and in 2012 the magazine named the Trail a “Best East Coast Adventure.”
If you would like to attend the sign installation please contact NFCT Trail Director Walter Opuszynski at (802)496-2285 ext. 2 or walter@northernforestcanoetrail.org.
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The Northern Forest Canoe Trail is a 740-mile paddling trail tracing historic travel routes across New York, Vermont, Québec, New Hampshire, and Maine. Northern Forest Canoe Trail, Inc. is internationally regarded as the preeminent water trail organization in North America, and connects people to the Trail’s natural environment, human heritage, and contemporary communities by stewarding, promoting, and providing access to canoe and kayak experiences along this route.
To learn more about paddling the NFCT, to become a member, and to purchase a guidebook and maps, visit http://www.northernforestcanoetrail.org or call 802-496-2285.
Media Contact: Kevin Mack, Director of Partnerships and Marketing
Northern Forest Canoe Trail
802 535-5855, Kevin@northernforestcanoetrail.org
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