Welch, Sanders, Gillibrand urge federal funding for Lake Champlain programs
WASHINGTON, D.C. (ABC22/FOX44) – Vermont Senator Peter Welch, along with his colleagues Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), sent a letter to the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday asking for support for critical programs in Lake Champlain and the surrounding valley.
'Lake Champlain provides significant environmental, recreational, historic, and educational value to our region,' reads the letter. 'We have a responsibility to expand federal support for the lake so our constituents can benefit from these opportunities for generations to come.'
Read the full text of the letter hereDownload
The letter asks for support for the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) as well as several other programs including the Lake Champlain Sea Grant, which funds science education efforts around the area in conjunction with colleges including the University of Vermont and the State University of New York at Plattsburgh.
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The LCBP has been helping monitor the lake's water and wildlife for 35 years. Last year it tracked the recovery of the lake after a huge amount of sediment flowed into the lake during the July floods, as previously reported by ABC22/FOX44.
The three senators as well as Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) introduced legislation last Congress to fund the program for another ten years, but the bill did not make it out of committee.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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