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Conservation commission raises environmental and process concerns after jet-ski races cleared for Lake Opechee
Summary
Members of the Laconia Conservation Commission told the City Council they were not consulted about a multi-day jet-ski race on Lake Opechee and warned of invasive species, shoreline erosion and precedent from launching watercraft on a public beach; city staff said the event cleared the special-events review process and will provide a follow-up.
At the May 27 Laconia City Council meeting, the Laconia Conservation Commission urged the council to revisit approvals for an upcoming multi-day jet-ski race on Lake Opechee, saying commission members and the Opechee Preservation Association were not consulted and expressing concern about environmental impacts and precedent-setting use of a public beach.
The commission’s chairman, Dean Hanson, told the council that event planners estimated large numbers of jet skis, including craft coming from out of state and Canada, and warned that introducing additional watercraft risks bringing invasive species into the lake. Hanson said the city and private partners have already spent thousands of dollars managing invasive species on Opechee and that “when you introduce boats and other watercraft jet skis…
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