The Raquette River Blueway Corridor is hosting several public outreach meetings to help develop a voluntary stewardship program for the river and its recreational opportunities.

Meetings are set for 7 p.m. each evening at Colton Town Hall, 94 Main St., Monday, July 9; Wednesday, July 11 at Massena Town Hall, 60 Main St.; and Thursday, July 12 in Long Lake.

The public outreach meetings will help the Raquette River Blueway Corridor’s Stewardship Committee develop a voluntary stewardship plan, which aims to provide recommendations for improving safety for recreational activities, decreasing the impact of outdoor activities on the environment, controlling invasive species, protecting water quality, and providing plans to assist current stewardship efforts that are underway.

Participants will be asked to provide recommendations for areas where efforts may be lacking and how the Raquette River Blueway Corridor’s Voluntary Stewardship Plan can provide guidance.

The Stewardship Committee is a community based volunteer group with representatives from local businesses, chambers of commerce, residents and outdoor recreation groups all of whom have a passion for the Raquette River. The Raquette River Blueway Corridor also plans to build a sustainable tourism economy by using the assets the river provides to the local communities.

The Raquette River is 174 miles long and is the second longest River in New York State. The river flows from Raquette Lake in Hamilton County to Akwesasne where it empties out into the St. Lawrence River.

For further information on the public outreach meetings, the Raquette River Blueway Corridor, or the Voluntary Stewardship Plan, contact Nicole Cline at 265-1670 or ncline@vi.potsdam.ny.us.