From the June 2003 issue

New York and Vermont Work Together on Lake Champlain Projects

The states of New York and Vermont recently made two important announcements regarding the management of Lake Champlain. First, both New York and Vermont renewed their commitment to protect and enhance the natural resources in the Lake Champlain Basin by committing funding to cleanup efforts. Secondly, new laws passed in both states will allow anglers to fish most parts of Lake Champlain with only one fishing license, encouraging anglers to fish beyond their state's borders.

Lake Champlain Management Plan

New York State Governor George E. Pataki and Vermont Governor Jim Douglas have signed an updated version of the comprehensive Lake Champlain Management Plan, reaffirming New York's commitment to work with Vermont and the Province of Quebec to protect and enhance natural resources in the Lake Champlain Basin.

Governor Pataki signed the long-term Lake Champlain Management Plan, Opportunities for Action: An Evolving Plan for the Future of the Lake Champlain Basin, and a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that extends the partnership among New York, Vermont and Quebec to study, manage and protect the lake. Governor Pataki also committed $1 million to help Lake Champlain communities with capital projects to clean up the lake.

Plan Priorities

The original Management Plan was approved by Governor Pataki, former Vermont Governor Howard Dean and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1996. The top four priorities identified in the Plan are: reducing toxic phosphorus pollution; protecting human health; reducing toxic substances in the lake and controlling non-native and nuisance aquatic species. The Plan also includes strategies for fish and wildlife management, improving recreational access and coordinating regional heritage tourism efforts.

The MOU, which will be in effect for five years, cites the importance of exchanging information among Lake Champlain partners, cooperating on research and coordinating planning.

The Lake Champlain Basin is
bounded by the Adirondack
Mountains in New York, the
Green Mountains in Vermont
and the Province of Quebec

Reciprocal Fishing License Agreement

A new agreement will allow anglers to fish most waters of Lake Champlain with a single license. The reciprocal agreement takes effect January 1, 2004.

Anglers and businesses around Lake Champlain have long requested a reciprocal agreement. The recent passage of legislation in Vermont, coupled with a similar law already enacted by New York, will make a fishing license from either state valid in both states' shared boundary waters of Lake Champlain.

How the Agreement Works

Specifically, the agreement allows reciprocal fishing in the "main" and "south" portions of the lake between New York and Vermont. South Bay in New York and the Inland Sea, Mallet's Bay and Missisquoi Bay in Vermont are excluded. Anglers fishing on these waters must have a license from the state in which the waterway is located. In addition, rivers that flow into Lake Champlain are excluded from the agreement.

Until January 1, 2004, a New York State fishing license is required to fish all New York portions of Lake Champlain and a Vermont fishing license must be obtained to fish that state's waters.

Lake Champlain Fishing and Cultural Significance

Lake Champlain is one of the largest freshwater lakes in the United States, with 435 square miles of surface water, more than 70 islands and 587 miles of shoreline. More than 81 species of fish inhabit Lake Champlain of which about 20 species are prized by anglers, including: lake trout, landlocked Atlantic salmon, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, steelhead trout, brown trout, walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, chain pickerel, brown bullhead, channel catfish and rainbow smelt.

The Lake Champlain Basin is bounded by the Adirondack Mountains in New York, the Green Mountains in Vermont and the Province of Quebec. About 600,000 people live in the basin and millions visit each year for its beautiful waters, scenery, and natural and historic features.