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DEC releases draft Great Lakes action agenda to help restore, protect & revitalize NYS region

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Mon, Oct 3rd 2022 07:00 am

Public comment period closes Nov. 11

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation released the draft “New York’s Great Lakes Action Agenda 2022-2030,” a multiyear action plan to guide restoration and conservation, and foster sustainable, resilient communities in New York’s Great Lakes region.

A press release said, “The action agenda advances a wide range of efforts to safeguard water quality, improve habitats for fish and wildlife, manage invasive species, promote sustainability, and enhance community resilience to climate change in a region that spans more than 40% of New York state’s land area and includes Lake Erie, the Niagara River, Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River, and respective watersheds.”

DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said, “The updated agenda takes Great Lakes restoration and protection to the next level by building on and further leveraging the successful efforts advanced by the first agenda released in 2014. DEC will continue to strengthen and diversify our partnerships with state and local partners, effectively respond to our most pressing environmental challenges like climate change, and ensure that present and future generations continue to benefit from the high-quality water and natural resources of the Great Lakes region.”

In support of New York’s ecosystem-based management goals, the agenda “promotes collaborative, science-informed decision-making to achieve outcomes that support the needs of people, nature, and the economy. The draft 2022-2030 ‘GLAA’ includes new cross-cutting priorities that reflect the state’s commitment to inclusion and engagement of diverse stakeholders and historically underserved communities. The updated ‘GLAA’ also proposes new metrics for evaluating implementation progress and improvements in environmental conditions over time.”

The agenda is funded by the state's Environmental Protection Fund (EPF), under the Ocean and Great Lakes Ecosystem Conservation Act, and is administered through DEC’s Great Lakes program with collaborating stakeholders and partners.

The draft agenda is available on DEC’s website at: http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/91881.html. Public comments will be accepted until Nov. 11, and submitted to [email protected]

DEC's Great Lakes program will hosting a webinar at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25, to introduce the agenda and invite feedback. Register at the link here. To learn more about these and future opportunities to engage in this work, email [email protected].

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