The Lake Champlain Basin Program has released a draft Opportunities for Action, LCBP’s management plan for Lake Champlain, and is seeking comments.

While the states of New York and Vermont both have Total Maximum Daily Loads to reduce phosphorus and other water quality parameters from a regulatory perspective, the LCBP focuses on regional non-regulatory education efforts, project implementation and scientific research with New York, Vermont and Quebec.

Since 1991, Lake Champlain’s ecosystem issues have changed over time including concerns with invasive species and cyanobacteria (blue-green algea), but high phosphorus levels have remained a constant.  The four primary goals of Opportunities for Action are to identify priorities that will help move Lake Champlain toward clean water, healthy ecosystems, thriving communities, and a better informed and involved public that understands Lake Champlain and its watershed.

LCBP is coordinating with the three jurisdictional Citizen Advisory Committees in the Basin to review the priorities in the draft Plan. The next meeting will be February 13, 2017 with the Vermont Citizens Advisory Committee on Lake Champlain’s Future at 5 pm at the Shelburne Town Offices Meeting Room 1, Shelburne, VT.

Another meeting will be scheduled with the Quebec Citizens Advisory Committee in late February. The date will be posted here. The meetings are open to the public.

The draft plan can be found here, or a hardcopy may be requested from the Lake Champlain Basin Program. Public comments on the plan will be accepted via e-mail to ofaonline@lcbp.org through March 6, 2017. Comments may also be submitted in hardcopy to the LCBP, 54 West Shore Road, Grand Isle, Vermont 05458.

For further information, contact the Lake Champlain Basin Program, 54 West Shore Road, Grand Isle, VT at (802) 372-3213 or (800) 468-5227.