Lake Champlain Clean-up Funds Take a Hit
EPA funding for Lake Champlain restoration was cut by 42% from 2013 to 2014. Photo by Clio1789 on Flickr.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) portion of Lake Champlain restoration funding was cut by over a million dollars, from $2,432,000 in 2013 to $1,399,000 for 2014. For over 20 years these annual federal appropriations have supported critical restoration, research, and monitoring programs on the lake. These monies have helped reduce nutrient loading, identify and clean up toxic hot spots, and stop the spread of invasive species.
Designated water programs took a hit overall. The budget for the Great Lakes program was reduced by 1%, Puget Sound received an 18% reduction, and San Francisco Bay and the Gulf of Mexico programs were cut by 19%. Only Chesepeake Bay got a funding boost with clean-up funds increased by 21%.
Disappointingly, Lake Champlain funding was reduced by 42%! This is particularly worrisome because EPA is about to release a new clean-up plan for the lake that will require many millions of dollars to implement. LCC will continue to advocate for state, regional, and national funding to protect and restore lake health. We will work to ensure that available funds are spent wisely and target the most important sources of pollution. Stay tuned for future alerts on how you can help.
