Balint introduced companion legislation in the House.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Chair of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development and Energy, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a senior and longtime member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y), and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) introduced the bicameral Lake Champlain Basin Program Reauthorization Act – legislation that would reauthorize the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) for ten years at $55 million to support interstate conservation and the health of the Lake Champlain Basin. The bill would establish the Patrick Leahy LCBP Foundation to formally administer the program to promote climate resilience and mitigation through ecosystem restoration. U.S. Representative Becca Balint introduced companion legislation in the House.
“Lake Champlain is an important part of Vermont’s culture. But an increase in climate-driven disasters like last July’s brutal flooding are a real threat to the Lake’s water quality and biodiversity. That’s why investing in the Patrick Leahy Lake Champlain Basin Program, which has supported conservation, the health of our ecosystems, and thriving rural communities, is vital,” said Senator Welch. “The bill supports the important work of the LCBP by ensuring the program has resources to mitigate extreme weather events and boost climate resilience.”
“From Plattsburgh to Port Henry, Lake Champlain is one of the crown jewels of Upstate New York, with people coming from across the country to visit this gorgeous economic anchor for the Adirondack region’s outdoor economy. This critical legislation will strengthen the preservation of Lake Champlain’s health & beauty, boosting the Adirondack region’s thriving tourism industry and supporting the local economy,” said Senator Schumer. “I am proud to work with Senators Welch, Sanders, and Gillibrand to ensure that Lake Champlain has the resources it needs to preserve its expansive shores, cultural and physical landscape for the next generation.”
“Lake Champlain is one of Vermont’s most treasured natural resources and an essential part of our natural heritage,” said Senator Sanders. “We must do everything we can to protect it. For the past 30 years, the Lake Champlain Basin Program has worked to reduce pollution, restore habitats, mitigate harmful invasive species, and educate residents and visitors. I look forward to seeing the good work the program will continue to do over the next ten years for current and future generations.”
“The Lake Champlain Basin is a vast, historic, and invaluable resource that is enjoyed by millions of visitors each year,” said Senator Gillibrand. “The Lake Champlain Basin Program Reauthorization Act will ensure Lake Champlain receives the support and stewardship it deserves, protecting the lake and its watershed for decades to come. I’m proud to fight alongside Senators Welch, Sanders, and Schumer to secure vital resources to restore and preserve Lake Champlain and look forward to getting this legislation passed.”
“With a rich history and diverse ecosystem, the Lake Champlain watershed is home to more than 600,000 across Vermont, New York, and Quebec Province, Canada. The Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCPB) is critical to protect this natural resource for the communities and ecosystems that enjoy it. As Vermonters know well, in an era of climate change it’s more important than ever to make investments in the resiliency of our infrastructure and the health of our ecosystems. I’m proud to partner with Vermont and New York’s US Senators to bring critical funding to LCPB and support the program’s conservation efforts,” said Representative Balint.
“This new bill will strengthen the role of the Patrick Leahy Lake Champlain Basin Program in coordinating management of water quality and ecosystem health in the Lake Champlain Basin,” said Dr. Eric Howe, NEIWPCC Program Director of the Lake Champlain Basin Program. “The timing of this bill coincides with a second consecutive year of devastating flooding that likely delivered significant amounts of pollutants to Lake Champlain. Increasing federal resources to improve the health of Lake Champlain is as critical as ever.”
Vermont’s Secretary of Natural Resources, Julie Moore, recognized the important and multi-faceted role the Lake Champlain Basin Program plays in helping steward our great lake: “The LCBP supports and empowers not only organizations that not only implement innovative clean water projects, but also those that cultivate clean water awareness for the next generation of basin residents, through arts, culture, and science.”
The Lake Champlain Basin Program Reauthorization Act would establish the Patrick Leahy Lake Champlain Basin Program Foundation—modeled after the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation—to serve as the administrative body of the LCBP to formally administer the activities of the LCBP. The bill would also update the program’s current guidelines for its environmental management plan to explicitly add climate change, mitigation, and resilience to the program’s focus, and strengthen collaboration between the program and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission on a variety of conservation and educational activities.
Senator Welch has championed efforts to support the Lake Champlain Basin in the Senate. In April, Sen. Welch led Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) in sending a letter to the bipartisan leadership of the Senate Appropriations Committee urging Congress to provide robust federal funding for programs supporting the basin, including the LCBP. In their letter, the lawmakers emphasized the importance of federal programs to Lake Champlain that support critical work in the basin, from fostering a climate-resilient watershed to promoting outdoor recreation and wildlife conservation.
Learn more about the Lake Champlain Basin Program Reauthorization Act.
Read the full text of the bill.
