For the many years I have been in Washington, environmental issues have been among my favorite in which to work.  As an avid outdoorsman, the protection of the Finger Lakes watershed, the Onondaga Lake cleanup and most recently the building of regional wastewater facilities to protect Lake Ontario's South Shore embayment are natural extensions of that interest.

 As a member of the Agriculture Committee and later the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, I was able to wed my concerns for the environment with my desire to help retain our small family farms, particularly dairy farms.

 I have worked closely with the professionals in Onondaga and Cayuga Counties Soil and Water Conservation District offices to establish whole farm management plans with all of the farms in the Otisco, Skaneateles, Owasco, and to a certain extent Cayuga Lake watersheds.  By providing a level of federal government funding to private sector investment, coupled with county funds we have maximized the effect.

 As of this writing, many of the farms we began working with ten years ago in this remarkable region are still operational.  In fact, many have made huge improvements which have made them more profitable, more efficient, and far more environmentally friendly.  We are preventing thousands of tons of silt from entering the lakes. We are dramatically reducing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and pesticides from entering the tributaries.  Milk waste and manure management are improving water and air quality throughout the watersheds.  The farmers are very grateful for these resources, and taxpayers are reaping benefits as well.
 
 As you know, these lakes serve as our sources of drinking water.  By providing this systemic approach, we have avoided having to build a large expensive water treatment and filtration plant for Skaneateles.
 
 Water quality is outstanding in these lakes, and this is one of the keys to our future.  We need our farms to sustain the land; we need our lakes for our quality of life.  The world is finding out about the Finger Lakes, and one of the reasons is because we are taking care of them.

 We also are working with regional planning agencies in Central New York and the Genesee Valley, which encompass the entire Finger Lakes region.  Hopefully in the next installment of this journal I will discuss our concept of land use planning to counter suburban sprawl in this picturesque region.

 Given the fact that my Congressional district crosses town and county lines, it puts me in a position where I have to think more regionally.  We all need to think in those terms to deal with the multitude of issues we face.

 

Sincerely,

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