A Recommitment to Cooperative Management on Lake Champlain
Governor Shumlin of Vermont and Premier Couillard of Quebec recommitted to cooperating on Lake Champlain management. Photo from VPR.
On March 23 Vermont and Quebec recommitted to working jointly on lake management issues. Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin and Quebec Premier Phillippe Couillard signed a Memorandum of Understanding pledging their governments to cooperative lake management. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo plans to sign the agreement soon. Similar agreements have been in place since 1988, and have been renewed seven times since. Through the agreement the three governments share research and information on water quality and conservation, and work on projects that improve flood resilience, protect natural and cultural resources, reduce storm water runoff, and protect the lake from aquatic invasive species. The partners also work with the Lake Champlain Basin Program to implement Lake Champlain’s long-term management plan, Opportunities for Action. While cooperation is standard practice today that was not always the case, and renewing the agreement helps to secure on-going federal appropriations for Lake Champlain and the region.
