Lake Champlain Basin Program
Encyclopedia
The Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) is a program to restore and protect Lake Champlain
and its surrounding watershed or drainage basin
for future generations. The LCBP works in partnership with government agencies from New York
, Vermont
, and Quebec
, private organizations, local communities, and individuals to coordinate and fund efforts which benefit the Lake Champlain Basin’s water quality, fisheries, wetlands, wildlife, recreation, and cultural resources.
These efforts are guided by the 1996 lake management plan "Opportunities for Action: An Evolving Plan for the Lake Champlain Basin.” In 2003, the plan was updated and signed by the governors of Vermont and New York, the regional administrators of the United States Environmental Protection Agency
, and the prime minister of Quebec. The plan can be read in English and French on the LCBP website. The LCBP is currently working with its partners to implement this plan. Most funding for the LCBP is through the US Environmental Protection Agency. The plan is renowned as an interstate and international model for environmental cooperation.
A local grant program run by the LCBP supports lake-related projects by local communities and non-profit organizations. As of 2007, more than $3 million was targeted to projects in Vermont and New York. Funded projects cover all actions in the plan, from phosphorus reduction, to preventing the spread of nuisance species, to public education and outreach, to restoring important cultural heritage sites.
on the Burlington, Vermont Waterfront. The LCBP is taking a lead role in coordinating the bi-state commemoration of the 400th anniversary of Samuel de Champlain
’s 1609 exploration of the Lake.
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
and its surrounding watershed or drainage basin
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
for future generations. The LCBP works in partnership with government agencies from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, and Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, private organizations, local communities, and individuals to coordinate and fund efforts which benefit the Lake Champlain Basin’s water quality, fisheries, wetlands, wildlife, recreation, and cultural resources.
These efforts are guided by the 1996 lake management plan "Opportunities for Action: An Evolving Plan for the Lake Champlain Basin.” In 2003, the plan was updated and signed by the governors of Vermont and New York, the regional administrators of the United States Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
, and the prime minister of Quebec. The plan can be read in English and French on the LCBP website. The LCBP is currently working with its partners to implement this plan. Most funding for the LCBP is through the US Environmental Protection Agency. The plan is renowned as an interstate and international model for environmental cooperation.
A local grant program run by the LCBP supports lake-related projects by local communities and non-profit organizations. As of 2007, more than $3 million was targeted to projects in Vermont and New York. Funded projects cover all actions in the plan, from phosphorus reduction, to preventing the spread of nuisance species, to public education and outreach, to restoring important cultural heritage sites.
Priorities
The top priorities of the management plan are:- Reduce phosphorus inputs to Lake Champlain to promote a healthy and diverse ecosystem and provide for sustainable human use and enjoyment of the Lake.
- Reduce toxic contamination to protect public health and the Lake Champlain ecosystem.
- Minimize the risks to humans from water-related health hazards in the Lake Champlain Basin.
- Control the introduction, spread, and impact of non-native nuisance species in order to preserve the integrity of the Lake Champlain ecosystem.
Other projects
Other projects include supporting a lake-wide monitoring program, funding scientific research about the lake, and creating an environmental indicators program to access the progress of lake management actions. Public outreach is supported through school programs, and the LCBP Resource Room at the ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science CenterECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center
ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center, formerly the Lake Champlain Basin Science Center, is located on the Burlington waterfront in northern Vermont. It is home to more than 70 species of fish, amphibians, invertebrates, and reptiles, major traveling exhibitions, and the multimedia Awesome Forces...
on the Burlington, Vermont Waterfront. The LCBP is taking a lead role in coordinating the bi-state commemoration of the 400th anniversary of Samuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain , "The Father of New France", was a French navigator, cartographer, draughtsman, soldier, explorer, geographer, ethnologist, diplomat, and chronicler. He founded New France and Quebec City on July 3, 1608....
’s 1609 exploration of the Lake.