BELGRADE — Doug McCafferty was recently named Belgrade Regional Conservation Alliance Volunteer of the Year.

McCaffety, proprietor of Whisperwood Lodge and Cottages on Salmon Lake, has prevented invasive plants from entering Salmon Lake in Belgrade, three times this summer.

McCafferty does an inspection of every boat launched from his fishing camp, for a total of 599 this year. Whenever he finds a suspicious fragment, he has it checked out by an expert at Belgrade Regional Conservation Alliance. This year he found fragments of variable milfoil, Eurasion milfoil, and curly-leaf pondweed, all of which are invasive aquatic species.