A long time ago I picked up a hitchhiker in Bloomingdale and gave him a ride to town. The entire way, he talked about how crazy he was and how no one should mess with him because of it. He stared straight ahead through the windshield as he rambled on and on, and I never got a word in edgewise.

And, worst of all? He changed the radio station without asking. Some people, right?

There’s another type of hitchhiker around the Adirondacks that may not have the distinct aroma or crazy eyes of the guy I met, but can cause far more harm.

Most of you, no doubt, have heard about invasive species. Eurasian milfoil, zebra mussels, emerald ash borer and the like have become a part of our collective vocabulary. The harm that these species can create, both ecological and economic, has been well documented.

In response to the threat from invasive species, many programs and regulations have sprung up, including state laws, boat washes and watershed stewards.

On May 25, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed into law regulations that make transporting invasive species or failing to inspect your boat illegal. The regulations were originally put in place two years ago as an emergency action, but are now permanent.

From now on, everyone launching a boat in any public water body in the state will need to take “reasonable precautions” before putting any boat in the water. The law basically applies to all floating things at both public and private launches.

“A watercraft means every motorized or non-motorized boat, vessel or vehicle capable of being used or operated as a means of transportation or recreation in or on water,” according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation. “A floating dock means a removable buoyant platform supported by floating devices or suspended over the surface of a waterbody by anchors or other devices.”

But what does a “reasonable precaution” consist of? Brendan Quirion, the program coordinator for the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program, said people can avoid the written warnings or possible fines the regulations come with by doing a few easy things.

“A few simple steps make it easy to comply with these regulations and protect our valued Adirondack lakes and rivers,” Quirion said in an email this week. “First, inspect all areas of your watercraft and remove any visible plant or animal material that you find. Dispose of these materials in a garbage receptacle or in an upland area away from the water.

“Next, again in an upland area, drain any standing water from the boat’s motor, bilge, live/bait wells, etc. Lastly, make sure any microscopic plant or animal material is killed between outings by allowing your boat to dry completely, usually for five days depending on weather conditions, or have your boat washed with hot water.”

Quirion also wrote that there are boat wash stations around the Adirondacks now, and are often staffed or at least free to use.

“In 15 minutes or less, staff will have your boat cleaned, drained, treated and ready to launch,” Quirion wrote.

In addition to the boat washing stations, there are also dozens of watershed stewards stationed around the park. The Adirondack Watershed Institute at Paul Smith’s College has run the steward program for more than a decade. The program began with just a few stewards at local boat launches, but has since expanded to encompass most of the larger lakes in the Park.

Eric Holmlund, director of the Watershed Stewardship Program, said that the exact location of each steward hasn’t been finalized for this summer, but the plan is to have more than 50 stewards at boat launches from Fish Creek and Lake Placid to Lake Champlain and the Great Sacandaga Lake.

Stewards are stationed at boat launches in order to provide the public with information about the invasive species themselves, and also know how to inspect boats and keep an eye out for any hitchhikers.

And since the laws that are now in place include punishments of up to $1,000, asking for a bit of help to make sure your boat isn’t moving any invasive species is not only the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do as well.

To find a boat wash station, visit www.adkcleanboats.org. To read more about the state regulations, go to www.dec.ny.gov/regulations/2359.html#576. The Watershed Institute also has a website with tons of information at www.adkwatershed.org.