The Keuka Lake Association introduced a short-term visitor membership and a local merchant discount program during its annual meeting July 11 at Keuka College in Penn Yan.
The 30-day visitor membership is intended for guests staying near Keuka Lake and is being coordinated with area short-term rentals, hotels and motels to encourage participation in lake stewardship efforts.
The merchant program offers association members discounts at more than 30 participating restaurants, wineries, breweries, museums and shops when they show a digital membership card, according to the association.
Members also received updates on water-quality monitoring, harmful algal blooms, invasive species, Lake Friendly Farming, fisheries, lake-level management and boating safety.
The association elected Pam Bukys, Anis Fadul, Ira Goldman, Barb Handley, Carolyn Harrington, Jack Williams and Doug Willard to its board. Bob Lambert was elected to a second term, and retiring board member Nolan Smith was recognized for his service.
Guest presentations covered agricultural projects, fisheries, a proposed permanent water-monitoring buoy, a state-funded survey of the invasive aquatic plant fanwort and ice damage to waterfront property during the previous winter.
Yates and Steuben county law enforcement officers and state Department of Environmental Conservation representatives also discussed boating safety, enforcement and public education.
The Keuka Lake Association, founded in 1956, has more than 1,500 members and focuses on lake-level control, water quality, land use, recreation and conservation.
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