Press Release: NYS, May 28, 2004

Governor George E. Pataki today announced more than $2.54 million in Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) grants for 29 waterfront revitalization, historic preservation and recreation projects in the Adirondacks and North Country, including $350,000 for construction of a new year-round Lake George Visitor Information Center at the intersection of Canada Street and Beach Road in the heart of Lake George Village.

“The Adirondacks and North Country are home to magnificent vistas, scenic rivers, lakes and streams, and unlimited outdoor recreational opportunities,” Governor Pataki said. “These EPF grants will help local municipalities expand public access to waterfront attractions and promote tourism, while also preserving historic structures that help to define the character of the region.

“The creation of a visitor information center in Lake George, the preservation of the historic Pavilion at Fort Ticonderoga in the Champlain Valley, and efforts to redevelop and utilize waterfront areas, are important to the future of the region,” the Governor said. “New York State is proud to partner with local communities on projects like these that help to preserve and improve the quality of life.”

Governor Pataki was joined by State and local officials in making the announcement along the Lake George waterfront near the site of the future Visitor Information Center. The Village received a $350,000 grant to finalize construction of the Center which will include interactive interpretive exhibits, restrooms, a staff office, and outdoor covered patio, and will be used to launch the Scenic Byways “Lakes to Locks Passage” initiative.

"I'm pleased to join Governor Pataki and state and local officials to announce millions of dollars in new funding for more than a dozen projects in my Senate District," said Senator Betty Little. "Each of these grants is an investment in our future, providing a benefit to North Country residents and to the tourism industry whose success is so vital to our local economy. This funding rewards the vision, hardwork and cooperation of all who have played a role in developing these projects."

Assemblywoman Teresa Sayward said, "I am ecstatic that almost $1 million in grants will be made available within the 113th Assembly district to continue projects important for our history, our environment, and our economic development. The Governor's dedication to the North Country supports many long term efforts to revitalize and enhance the Adirondack legacy that is so important to all of New York State. These grants are appropriate reminders of our basic values as we start this important Memorial Day weekend."

Robert Blais, Mayor of Lake George, said, “The Visitor Center is the single most important project that we have undertaken in the Village of Lake George and we thank Governor Pataki for making this important funding available. The grant money will help us promote and encourage tourism in our region. The visitor information center will be a place for people to go and get a piece of the Adirondack history.”

In addition, the Village of Lake George, in conjunction with the Lake George Watershed Conference (LGWC), received a $200,000 grant to implement priority activities identified in “Lake George: Planning for the Future,” a plan developed by the LGWC to protect and improve lake water quality.

Activities will include surveys, water sampling, planning, computer modeling, outreach and construction projects in the areas of stormwater management, stream corridor management, wetlands management and protection, and wastewater management.

The Fort Ticonderoga Association also received an EPF grant of $200,000 to stabilize the Pavilion, a National Historic Landmark located in the Champlain Valley. Built in 1826, the Pavilion is the oldest remaining grand lakeside hotel along the former transportation corridor of the Lake and Champlain Canal, which existed prior to the advent of railroads and automobiles.

Secretary of State Randy A. Daniels, who oversees the Department of State’s (DOS) Division of Coastal Resources and chairs the LGWC, said, “Governor Pataki has created a strong partnership between the State and local communities to advance projects that will have long-term economic, environmental and cultural benefits, and these grants clearly illustrate how these investments are benefitting communities in the Adirondacks and North County. The Department of State will continue to work closely with local officials and organizations to help them turn their waterfront visions into reality.”

Bernadette Castro, commissioner of the State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, said, “Through the Environmental Protection Fund awards, Governor Pataki continues to invest in communities across the State to help safeguard New York's extraordinary cultural and natural resources. By preserving the rich heritage, scenic waterways and public parklands of the North Country and Adirondack regions, these grants will support a variety of projects to benefit residents and visitors alike well into the future.”

Since 1995, Governor Pataki has committed nearly $68 million through 689 EPF Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP) grants to assist communities in preparing and implementing LWRPs and intermunicipal water body management plans, developing coastal education programs, creating blueway trails and supporting urban waterfront redevelopment. In that same time period, the Governor has committed nearly $108 million in EPF, Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act and Land and Water Conservation Fund support administered by State Parks toward 845 local open space, recreation and historic preservation grants to communities across New York State. More than $10.5 million has been invested in park and preservation projects in Essex, Jefferson, Saratoga, St. Lawrence and Warren counties.

Other EPF grants include:

Clinton County

• Village of Rouses Point – $200,000 to complete public access improvements to Lake Champlain, including a 570-foot lighted boardwalk and passive park.

Essex County

• Town of Ticonderoga – $23,500 to repair deteriorating footings of Frazier Bridge.
• Town of Westport – $56,500 to create a park in the Hamlet of Wadhams, including playground equipment, ball courts, athletic fields, a nature walk, skateboard park, and public access to Boquet River.
• Town of Essex – $7,500 to provide training and education in support of its recently adopted LWRP and will create a Harbormaster position,
• Town of Wilmington – $25,000 to prepare an LWRP to guide the community’s economic growth, recreational development, and scenic resource protection along the West Branch of the Ausable River and Lake Everest.

Essex and Clinton counties

• Town of Moriah – $75,000 to update the 1997 Essex and Clinton County Waterfront Revitalization Plan to reflect planning conducted for the Lakes to Locks Passage Scenic Byway.

Franklin County

• Village of Malone – $35,000 to the Malone Revitalization Foundation to prepare an LWRP to identify issues affecting the Salmon River, opportunities to create recreational access, and strategies for enhancing tourism.

Jefferson County

• Village of Alexandria Bay – $30,000 (in partnership with the Town of Alexandria) to complete a joint LWRP to guide development along the St. Lawrence River and Indian River Lakes in the heart of the Thousand Islands. Concerns to be addressed include public access, water quality, and aesthetic values.
• Alexandria Township Historical Society – $29,850 to stabilize the historic and architecturally unique Cornwall Brothers Store on the banks of the St. Lawrence River
• Town of Clayton – $40,000 (in partnership with the Village of Clayton) to conduct site assessment work and prepare a remediation feasibility analysis for the privately-owned, contaminated Frink America, Inc. site on the village waterfront.
• City of Watertown – $50,000 to advance the city’s vision for its downtown through the development of a downtown awareness campaign.

Montgomery County

• Town of Glen – $22,000 (in partnership with the Town of Mohawk and the villages of Fonda and Fultonville) to undertake community visioning and develop a revitalization strategy for the Erie Canal waterfront.

Oneida, Hamilton, and Herkimer counties

• Town of Forestport (Oneida County) – $50,000: (in partnership with the towns of Inlet and Webb) to complete a revitalization strategy for the Route 28 corridor, reflecting completed and ongoing master planning for these towns and the Old Forge Hamlet Revitalization Study.

Saratoga County

• Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway Coalition, Inc.– $257,000 to preserve the historic Noxon Building in the Town of Halfmoon for use as a visitor information station on the Mohawk/Barge Canal to provide enhanced recreational opportunities and increase public understanding of the Erie Canal.
• Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park, Inc. – $64,220 to protect additional open space and environmental resources, expand the existing recreational trail system, and greatly enhance the recreational offerings in the town of Wilton.
• Town of Halfmoon – $7,500 to conduct community visioning for the Town’s Hudson River and Mohawk River waterfronts. Elements of the project will include a resident survey, waterfront display maps and facilitated public sessions.

Saratoga and Washington counties

• Town of Saratoga – $35,000 (in partnership with the towns of Northumberland, Easton and Greenwich and the villages of Schuylerville and Victory) to prepare an inter-municipal waterfront revitalization plan for the Hudson River/Lake Champlain corridor.

St. Lawrence County

• The City of Ogdensburg – $250,000 to assist in the construction of a visitor information center in the Greenbelt Park, located immediately adjacent to the St. Lawrence River and municipal marina. The grant will assist with the completion of the design and bid specifications, demolition and removal of an existing building, and construction of a new 6,000-square foot building in its place. The project will provide a link between the waterfront and the downtown business district.
• The City of Ogdensburg – $34,150 to construct a skate park to expand urban recreational opportunities.
• The Town of Edwards – $88,392 for rehabilitation of the Edwards Town Hall, a local landmark and centerpiece of the town’s Main Street.
• The Village of Massena – $68,760 toward reconstruction of Veteran’s Memorial Park, on of the only access points to the Grasse River.
• Town of Colton – $6,000 to implement Phase 4 of the Raquette River Corridor Project, supported by a consortium of 14 municipalities, by developing a regional logo and promotional brochure.

Warren County

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• Town of Lake Luzerne – $72,125 to refurbish deteriorated tennis courts. The town will also\ acquire 8.6 acres through a Nature Conservancy donation. The acquisition and development as an active/passive recreation area is critical to developing the market viability of the community and the First Wilderness Heritage Corridor.
• Town of Warrensburg – $27,522 to repair the 102-year-old Richards Library and bring the structure into compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA).
• Town of Bolton – $20,000 to update its LWRP and recently adopted comprehensive plan as part of a development strategy to guide growth within the community.
• Village of Lake George – $220,000 to undertake a heritage and recreational tourism promotion project based on the establishment of underwater dive sites as part of a Blueway Trail system. This project also will include the communities of the Village of Freeport (Nassau County), the cities of Oswego, Dunkirk (Chautauqua County), Plattsburgh (Clinton County) and Geneva (Ontario County).