Dozens of conservation advocates traveled to Albany this week to push for stronger protections for the Finger Lakes.
The Finger Lakes Land Trust joined 15 regional watershed associations, land trusts and conservation agencies on Feb. 11 for the first-ever “Finger Lakes Advocacy Day.”
The group met with state lawmakers to call for sustained funding to protect water quality and natural resources across the region. Advocates urged continued investments in programs that reduce nutrient pollution, safeguard drinking water supplies and maintain forests and other lands that filter runoff.
Organizers said the effort focused on funding for research, land conservation, stormwater management, agricultural best management practices and water infrastructure improvements.
Supporters say those investments remain critical as harmful algal blooms continue to affect all 11 Finger Lakes each year. Also known as cyanobacteria or toxic algae, the blooms can threaten drinking water and impact the region’s tourism economy.
The Finger Lakes support a multi-billion-dollar tourism industry across Central New York, making water quality a major economic and public health concern.
Groups participating in the advocacy day included the Canandaigua Lake Watershed Association, Cayuga Lake Watershed Network, Cayuga Lake Watershed Intermunicipal Organization, Central New York Land Trust, Community Science Institute, Finger Lakes Land Trust, Finger Lakes Institute at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, New York State Federation of Lake Associations, Honeoye Valley Association, Otisco Lake Preservation Association, Owasco Watershed Lake Association, Seneca Lake Pure Waters, Seneca Lake Watershed Intermunicipal Organization, Skaneateles Lake Association, Tompkins County Water Resource Board and students from Cornell University.
Organizers said the goal of the day was to ensure lawmakers understand the ongoing threats facing the lakes and the importance of long-term investment in solutions that protect public health and the region’s quality of life.
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