Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Stefanik has announced over $2 million in grants will be awarded from the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) for Lake Champlain projects and programs once again this year. Each year, the LCBP supports a number of research and implementation projects that help achieve the goals of the Program and its management partners. Results from these studies often inform policy and are extended to education programming and training opportunities by partners across the Lake Champlain Watershed. Funding for these grants originates through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission and the National Park Service. Congresswoman Stefanik has worked to secure support for the Lake Champlain Basin Program in the House appropriations process for the past several years.
“I am very encouraged that this crucial funding will once again support projects that continue to protect Lake Champlain,” said Congresswoman Stefanik. “This funding provides critical support for improving water quality, combating invasive species and pollution, supporting healthy ecosystems, promoting tourism and cultural activity in the area, and educating the public about all of these topics. I will continue to be a lead advocate in Congress to deliver this funding, and I look forward to seeing the impacts that it has on the area surrounding Lake Champlain again this year.”
“Local NGOs and municipalities will use these funds to complete projects in every region of the Lake Champlain watershed,” said Dr. Eric Howe, Director of the Lake Champlain Basin Program. “Watershed groups and community partners use education and citizen action at the local level, to prevent phosphorus, salt and other pollutants from entering the watershed,” said Howe. “Working together with volunteers, these groups are reducing erosion from river banks and protecting critical habitat by planting trees in riparian areas, identifying and removing invasive species, and creating programs that help students and adults understand, explore, and solve watershed problems.”
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