2003 — A New Year Full of Promise for the Cayuga Lake Watershed!

by Bill Foster
Watershed Educator

"$3.5 Million for Cayuga Watershed Projects"
"$1 Million for Fingerlakes Institute"
"$50 Million Proposed for Finger Lakes Initiative"

DEC Commissioner Erin Crotty, flanked by other speakers, including Watershed Steward Sharon Anderson (right) announces funding.

Perhaps you have read similar headlines in the past few months. The numbers are impressive, and you might be wondering where all this money goes, and who decides how it will be spent. More importantly, does all this attention ensure a healthy Cayuga Lake watershed? Well, the good news is that there is a method to the madness, so to speak, in the form of management plans for many of the Finger Lakes watersheds.

The theory is that a successful watershed management plan allows organizations and communities to direct efforts toward broadly recognized Areas of Concern, thereby maximizing benefits for the entire watershed. This collaborative effort by stakeholders greatly enhances both the potential for success and the attractiveness of a watershed to national foundations and granting agencies. In fact, the completion of the Cayuga Lake Restoration and Protection Plan ("RPP") in 2000 really set the stage for much of the attention we are receiving today. However, with so much work proposed, communities must act knowledgeably and cooperatively to ensure that the end results are consistent with their desires. In this and coming issues, the Network will provide some perspective on new funding and projects falling into place for our watershed, and on the ways in which these events affect you. See also Watershed Funding.

The Direction of New Funding Opportunities

	Estimated Proportions of Watershed Funding.

A review of the numerous funding opportunities presently flowing toward our watershed and the Finger Lakes region quickly becomes overwhelming. Further, the uncertainties associated with many yet-to-be funded proposals, such as Senator Clinton's Finger Lakes Initiative Act of 2002, make them difficult to assess. However, we can provide an idea of how the funding received by Cayuga watershed organizations and agencies is being directed so far. The chart at the left illustrates the collective targeting of nearly $5 million in newly secured funds, awarded as of December 31, 2002. Several examples of recently funded grant projects are provided in the following pages. Additional funding for upgrades to the Cayuga Height and Ithaca Area wastewater treatment plants is also under negotiation. However, this funding is not considered on the chart above, as it is the result of a long-standing upgrade schedule that is not directly reflective of recent watershed planning efforts.

The relative proportions for the newly awarded grant funding should ring some bells for readers familiar with the Cayuga Lake Watershed RPP. In fact, the close correlation with RPP priorities and recommendations indicates that the efforts of the IO members who worked to create a living, usable document are beginning to pay off.

But Will It Work?

The question remains: will this new support from abroad actually ensure a healthy watershed? Even with millions of dollars at the disposal of capable agencies and organizations, the work thus far is just a beginning. Sustaining the momentum depends on internal support from watershed communities — and there is a role for individuals, as well. The projects in store must include plenty of inclusive decision-making to ensure that outcomes are suitable for all affected parties. In December, for example, Cornell and IC rowers raised serious concerns about the safely of a proposed sea wall along Cayuga inlet, thereby sparking what might be seen as an instructive controversy. With informed community participation during the planning phase of each project, these conflicts can be avoided, and watershed protection can be a positive experience for all parties.

As Watershed Communities, we have envisioned a healthy watershed that not only functions ecologically, but also provides the basis of our livelihoods and community economies. Now, we have opportunities to make this vision a reality. We at the Cayuga Lake Watershed Network hope to assist communities in making these visions a reality.

As a beginning, this issue of the Network News features a number of items pertaining to Watershed priorities, associated projects and learning opportunities. We will endeavor to provide continuing information on these topics and the Network's role in the watershed picture over the course of the year. As always, let us know how we're doing.