NYSFOLA's mission is:
"To protect the water resources of New York State by assisting local organizations and individuals through public dialogue, education, information exchange and collaborative efforts."
History of NYSFOLA
The New York State Federation of Lake Associations, Inc. (NYSFOLA) was founded
in 1983 by a small consortium of lake associations concerned about a variety of
problems facing their lakes. Water quality was of concern to nearly all of the
lakes, and there was little information available on methods to combat the
increasing presence of aquatic invasive species.
With the assistance of the New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation, NYSFOLA spearheaded the development of the Citizens Statewide Lake
Assessment Program. This model statewide volunteer lake monitoring program has
since served over 200 New York State lakes, and it remains an important part of
NYSFOLA's mission.
Since its founding, NYSFOLA's membership has grown to over 200 lakes
throughout the state. Each year, NYSFOLA invites its members to attend an annual
conference that brings together lake managers from government, academia and the
corporate sector to share new technologies and case studies in lake management.
In 1990, NYSFOLA and the New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation again collaborated to collect the best lake management information
in a single publication entitled "Diet for a Small Lake: A New Yorker's Guide
to Lake Management." Since its publication, "Diet..." has been shipped
all over the world and has been used by lake associations, colleges and
professional lake managers.
In 1993, NYSFOLA became the New York State Chapter of the North American Lake
Management Society thus bringing the organization into a broader spectrum of
lake related issues and making its members' voices heard at the national level.
NYSFOLA is actively involved in many lake management issues. Members of its
Board of Directors have served on a number of lake-related advisory groups
including the Northeast Aquatic Nuisance Species Panel, the NYS Invasive Species
Task Force and the NYS Water Management Advisory Committee.
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