Press Release: NYS, December 15, 2000

Governor George E. Pataki and Vermont Governor Howard Dean today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the State of New York, the State of Vermont and the Province of Quebec, which renews a 1996 agreement establishing cooperative environmental management programs for Lake Champlain.

"Lake Champlain is a magnificent interstate and international water resource that requires coordinated oversight to protect its unique character and ecological integrity," Governor Pataki said. "We are committed to working with the State of Vermont and the Province of Quebec to meet the goals for phosphorous reduction, as well as other environmental and recreational enhancements for Lake Champlain that were recommended in the management plan."

Governor Dean said, "This collaborative endeavor has provided a terrific means for addressing issues affecting Lake Champlain in a comprehensive manner. Lake Champlain is a wonderful resource, but between invasive species and nonpoint source pollution it needs our continued efforts to protect and clean it up."

The MOU, signed by State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner John P. Cahill, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources Secretary Scott Johnstone and Quebec Environmental Minister Paul Begin, renews the authority of the Lake Champlain Steering Committee, which administers the Lake Champlain Basin Program. This interstate organization is responsible for implementing Opportunities for Action, the management plan for Lake Champlain approved in 1996 by Governor Pataki and Governor Dean.

The agreement also provides for prior notification and consultation on major permit actions impacting Lake Champlain, regular exchange of information and materials produced by each jurisdiction relating to the Lake's ecosystem and cooperative research efforts on subjects of mutual interest. In addition, the MOU covers additional topical areas including fish and wildlife management, growth and development, lake levels, recreation and cultural resources management.

New York is already close to meeting a 20-year commitment of the plan for phosphorus reduction through funding made available from the Clean Water/ Clean Air Bond Act. Proposed by Governor Pataki in 1996, the Bond Act made $15 million available for phosphorus reduction projects from wastewater treatment plants and agricultural nonpoint source control projects.

Under one of the cooperative interstate programs, New York has worked with Vermont and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to initiate lamprey control on Lake Champlain. State funding was used to apply lampricides to control lamprey populations in New York rivers and delta areas. A final environmental impact statement is under development for the lamprey control program.

In addition, the development of a Bi-State Aquatic Nuisance Species Management Plan and funding acquired through the Federal Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force has resulted in improved control of nuisance plant species in the Lake. Governor Pataki provided $200,000 to purchase mechanical harvesting equipment that DEC and the New York State Canal Corporation used to harvest more than 1,000 truck loads of invasive water chestnuts from an 130-acre area in the vicinity of DEC's South Bay Boat Launch.

The New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) Byways Program also supports Lake Champlain initiatives through the development of Lake Champlain byways. Funds were approved to allow planning and infrastructure improvements in preparation for acelebration of the 400th anniversary of Samuel d'Champlain's arrival on Lake Champlain.

Recreational enhancements funded through the Lake Champlain Basin Program and the Lake Champlain Byways Program include a bicycle touring trail, improvements to local public access sites, heritage tourism promotion, historic site preservation, development of a paddler's trail and technical assistance grants for historic preservation.

Commissioner Cahill said, "These accomplishments, when combined with the progress on management issues being made in Vermont and Quebec, shows how a collaborative approach to managing shared resources can benefit the environment. This agreement demonstrates New York State's continued commitment to enhancing the future of the Lake Champlain Basin."

To request a copy of the agreement call DEC's Region 5 office in Ray Brook at 518-897-1211. DEC Region 5