Protecting Lake Champlain
Stretching nearly 120
miles from Whitehall, NY to the Richelieu River in Quebec, Lake
Champlain is one of Vermont’s greatest natural treasures. Nestled
between the dramatic peaks of the Adirondacks and Vermont’s picturesque
Green Mountains, the lake is valued all over the Northeast for its
recreational, ecological and scenic values. Lake Champlain supports a
regional economy of more than $9 billion and a watershed of more than
8200 square miles. We Vermonters sometimes affectionately refer to it
as the “Sixth Great Lake,” and I have many fond memories of spending
time with my family on Lake
Champlain. As a boy I spent time fishing and boating in its waters, and
when I was courting my wife Marcelle I would take her on
ferry rides across the lake. More recently I have become an avid scuba
diver, and my own explorations of shipwreck sites in the lake have
inspired me to secure funding for the preservation of Lake Champlain’s
historical heritage.
I have made the lake one of my top priorities
while serving as your senator. I have secured over $70 million in
federal funding to clean-up and protect Lake Champlain. I am proud to
have spearheaded federal efforts to study the lake and to learn the most
effective ways preserve its natural beauty and protect it for future
generations. It is a great honor to have Marcelle and my names attached to the Leahy
Center for Lake Champlain in Burlington, a campus that is home to
several programs dedicated to studying and preserving the lake.
Although much progress has been made to protect the lake, there is still
a lot of work to be done. I will continue to work hard for the future
of the Lake Champlain so that Vermonters can continue to enjoy this
great lake.
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