Vermont And New York Senators Introduce
"Daniel Patrick Moynihan
Lake Champlain Basin Program Act Of 2002"

    WASHINGTON, D.C. - Vermont and New York Senators today introduced legislation to authorize $55 million over the next five years to protect and enhance the environmental integrity and social and economic benefits of the Lake Champlain basin. 

The "Daniel Patrick Moynihan Lake Champlain Basin Program Act of 2002" implements the recommendations of a plan that will protect the health of Lake Champlain well into the future.

The bill provides for coordination between Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies including the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Army Corps of Engineers to preserve Lake Champlain.  In addition, the legislation will achieve the environmental goals described in the "Opportunities for Action: An Evolving Plan for the Lake Champlain Basin," drafted by the Lake Champlain Basin Program, including the reduction of phosphorous inputs, the reduction of toxic contamination, the control of nonnative nuisance species, the minimization of water-related health hazards, and the protection of natural, recreational, and cultural heritage resources.

In 1990, U.S. Sens. Jim Jeffords, I - Vt., Patrick Leahy, D - Vt., and former U.S. Sen. Patrick Moynihan, D - NY, and Alfonse D'Amato, R - NY, introduced the Lake Champlain Special Designation Act that designated Lake Champlain as a resource of national significance and created the Lake Champlain Management Conference. 

Jeffords, the Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said, "This legislation builds on more than 10 years of success in planning for, and working to protect the environmental and economic health of Lake Champlain.

Our legislation will increase the federal government's investment in this important task.  I look forward to passing this legislation and supporting the work of the Lake Champlain Basin Program, which has become an international model for lake protection and restoration."

Leahy said, "This is a turning point for Lake Champlain, helping Vermonters restore the lake with more resources and new partners.  We are moving from envisioning the lake's future to acting on it.  This will help us make sure Lake Champlain gets the financial investment needed to reduce phosphorus pollution, fight invasive species and clean up toxic hot spots."

Schumer said, "Lake Champlain is not only a national treasure, it plays an integral role in the economies of Vermont and Upstate New York.  That is why it is so frustrating when you hear that the Lake is consistently polluted.  This bill would change that and it will ensure that the Lake is cleaned-up, protected from future pollution, and enjoyed by New Yorkers and Vermonters alike.

Clinton said, "That this legislation and this program are being named after Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan is a most fitting tribute to the work of my predecessor.  Senator Moynihan was - and I'm sure still is -- a great advocate of Lake Champlain and the Champlain Valley; whether it was the rich heritage and history of the area, or the environmental quality of the Lake and basin.   That is why Senator Jeffords and I wanted to name the Lake Champlain Basin Program Act and the program itself after Senator Moynihan."

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