Settlement a win for New York’s boating biz

ALBANY, N.Y. – New York State will renovate boat launches and marinas, repair fish spawning habitat and rebuild the Cape Vincent fish hatchery as part of a $12 million restoration of Lake Ontario fisheries and its tributaries, reported New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis in a recent statement.

The revitalization plan is being funded with money from the 2006 settlement of the state’s natural resources damages lawsuit against Occidental Chemical Corp. dealing with pollution that devastated sportfishing in Lake Ontario and the Niagara and St. Lawrence rivers, according to the state. DEC, as trustee of New York’s natural resources, developed the restoration plan with public input. In all, the plan will fund 42 projects along Lake Ontario from Niagara to St. Lawrence counties that will enhance fish habitat and research, promote angler outreach and improve public fishing access, the state reported.

“These projects will reconnect New Yorkers to fishing spots – old and new – and boost their catch, while improving the health of the Lake Ontario fishery,” said Grannis. “It’s good news for the fish. It’s good news for anglers. And it’s good news for the communities in the Lake Ontario region.”

The $12 million resolution is one of the largest in the nation for a natural resources damages claim based on recreational fishing losses, according to the state. The settlement represents the final claim in a lawsuit the state filed against Occidental’s predecessor, Hooker Chemical, in 1983. It addressed damages to the fishery caused by the discharge of dangerous chemicals from the company’s main plant in Niagara Falls and from other sites and facilities either owned or operated by Occidental.

DEC began soliciting ideas for the spending plan in early 2007, holding a series of public meetings across the Lake Ontario region. Approximately 150 proposals were considered and 77 were advanced to a panel that scored the ideas. Of those, 42 were selected: 25 to improve access, 14 to enhance habitat and resources and three to promote fishing in the region.

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