Aquatic Invasive Species Boat Stewards

Kayakers at Round Lake

New York has more than 7,000 lakes, ponds, and rivers that could potentially be exposed to dozens of harmful aquatic invasive species (AIS) that have already been introduced and many more species that pose a threat. One of the main pathways for transfer of aquatic invasive species between waterbodies is recreational water vehicles (boats, canoes, kayaks, and jet skis).

For this reason the top priority of the statewide AIS management plan is to expand the coverage of boat stewardship programs across the state, particularly in popular, high-use areas. In-person interactions with boaters, anglers, and other recreational water users raises awareness about aquatic invasive species and practices (cleaning, draining, and treating) that reduce the chance of spreading aquatic invaders. Read more about the practices required to prevent the spread of AIS (PDF).

In 2018 more than 140,000 boats were inspected and boat stewards talked with more than 160,000 water recreationists.

Protecting New York's Waters

Boat stewards are volunteers or paid members of your community who help protect New York State's waters. An encounter with a steward will involve being asked if you already practice preventive measures and receiving instruction about how to inspect and "clean, drain, and treat" your watercraft and equipment. You will also be asked which waterbody you last visited so that the steward can determine if you are coming from infested waters and what species are there. Boat stewards will have access to this information for many lakes and ponds through the iMapInvasives website (leaves DEC website). Boat stewards have a wealth of information about aquatic invasive species. Feel free to ask them questions!

New York State Boat Launch and Steward Locations

• All public New York State boat launch locations

Active Boat Steward Programs in New York State

Since 2008 the number of boat steward programs has been steadily increasing. As of 2019, boat steward programs are active at 211 locations across New York State. Many types of organizations pursue boat steward programs such as lake associations, colleges and universities, non-profits, county soil and water conservation districts, and municipalities. More information about boat steward locations can be found in the list of Active Boat Steward Programs in 2019 (PDF).

Resources for Boat Steward Programs

Boat steward April Brun inspects kayaks.

Setting up and maintaining a boat steward program can seem daunting. NYSDEC, NYS OPRHP (Parks), New York Sea Grant (NYSG), and several other partners have teamed up to provide support for boat steward programs. This team of agencies is making every effort to standardize the training, messaging, and information that is distributed throughout the state. The following resources are available for organizations interested in learning more about what is involved in developing a program and how to improve existing programs.

Funding and Personnel

• New York State Watercraft Inspection Steward Program Handbook (PDF)
• Statewide Invasive Species Grants
• Financial Checklist for New Programs
  1. Does at least one organization involved in the effort have workers compensation coverage and at least 1 million dollars in liability insurance coverage?
     If yes, proceed to question #2. If no, is there a potential stakeholder that can provide this coverage?
  2. If you do not have a corps of volunteers to act as stewards, do you have the funds to pay for one to two boat stewards to work 8-10 hours per day two days a week from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend?
     • The estimated cost of a part-time stewards' salary and fringe is $6,000 to $8,000 per season ($12.25/hour). Please note that these are cost estimates and funds needed may vary from region to region.
  3. Do you have additional funds for equipment for stewards: camp chairs, table for handouts, education and outreach materials, floating keychains, etc.?
  4. If you are planning to fund your program through grants is your organization or your fiscal agent registered as a 501(c)3? Do you have someone designated as the grants and development person? If this person does not have prior experience writing grants and tracking deliverables, do they have access to resources to help with the task?
  5. If you choose to fund your program only through grants are you aware that funding from individual grants is not guaranteed, is usually available for 1 - 3 years, and that you will have to apply for grants each year for the life of your program.
  6. Do you have a chosen method for providing stable funding for your program?
• Boat Steward Program Funding Opportunities - Please note that many of these funders require grant recipients to have 501(c)3 status and may not give money to a fiscal agent. Multiple stakeholders (e.g. municipalities and lake associations) can apply for a single grant. The funder links in this section leave the DEC website unless otherwise mentioned.
  • Great Lakes Protection Fund
  • NFWF Pulling Together Initiative Grant
  • Patagonia Environmental Grants and Support
  • American Honda Foundation
  • The Coca-Cola Foundation
  • RBC Blue Water Project
  • Norcross Wildlife
  • TD Charitable Foundation
  • Charles Steward Mott Foundation (Great Lakes watershed)
  • Daniel K. Thorne Foundation, Inc.
  • The Dominion Foundation
  • The Ben Snow Memorial Trust
  • The Lawrence Foundation
  • Wells Fargo
  • NYS Department of State: Local Waterfront Revitalization Grants
  • Hudson River Estuary Program Grants (grants most relevant for stewardship are usually due in June) (DEC website)
  • NYS DEC Invasive Species Grant Program (DEC website)

Training Tools

• New York State Watercraft Inspection Steward Program Handbook (PDF)

Education and Outreach Supplies

• Boat Steward Program fact sheet (PDF)
• New York State Aquatic Invasive Species tip strips (PDF)
• Public boat launch signs
• Non-motorized boat launch sign (PDF)
• Aquatic invasive species disposal stations
• Hydrilla in New York State
  • Fact sheet (PDF)
  • ID sheet (PDF)
  • ID card (PDF)

Annual NYSFOLA 2016 workshop presentations

• Welcome to Watercraft Inspection Steward Program Leader's Workshop (PDF)
• Getting Started: How to Start a Watercraft Inspection Program (PDF)
• Sustainable Funding Solutions: How to Keep Your Program Afloat (PDF)
• Options for Watercraft Decontamination after Zebra Mussel Exposure (PDF)
• Watercraft Data (PDF)
• Emerging Aquatic Invasive Animals (PDF)
• Emerging Invasive Aquatic Plants - Be on the Lookout! (PDF)
• Clean, Drain, Dry: It's Not Just a Good Idea (PDF)

Invasive Species Regulations in New York

• 6 NYCRR Section 59.4 and 190.24 Require aquatic invasive species spread prevention practices when launching and retrieving watercraft at DEC boat launches and fishing sites
• 6 NYCRR Part 575 Regulated and Prohibited Species in New York State Prohibits or regulates the possession, transport, importation, sale, purchase, and introduction of select invasive species. View this list of species (PDF).
• 6 NYCRR Part 576 Aquatic Invasive Species Spread Prevention (leaves DEC website) Requires cleaning, draining, and treating watercraft and equipment to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species when launching on public waters
• Permit for Watercraft Transport for Aquatic Invasive Species