Public Workshop To Continue Resiliency Planning For Lake Ontario Shoreline Communities

OSWEGO COUNTY – Residents, property owners, business owners, and all other interested parties are invited to join a virtual Public Workshop on Wednesday, September 22, 6 to 7:30 p.m.

The workshop will focus on ways Lake Ontario shoreline communities in Cayuga and Oswego counties can work towards resilient approaches to shoreline management, land use, and development in light of extreme high and low water levels. We invite the community to review a regional vision statement and provide feedback on the needs and opportunities to promote a resilient Lake Ontario shoreline across the Cayuga and Oswego region.

The September 22 workshop is an opportunity for the public to engage with the NYS Department of State on its Coastal Lakeshore Economy and Resiliency (CLEAR) initiative. CLEAR is intended to help communities adapt to changing water levels, both high and low. The outcome of the CLEAR initiative will be community resiliency strategies and long-term plans to protect property, natural areas, and infrastructure. The CLEAR initiative will build on local plans and priorities as well as the 2019 Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative (REDI).

Public engagement throughout the process will ensure that the CLEAR plan reflects local needs and opportunities. The DOS project team is committed to building local capacity to adapt and thrive in the face of changing lake conditions. Input from local community stakeholders will help meet that goal. This will be the second of three public workshops in the CLEAR initiative.

The workshop requires pre-registration. To register visit:
www.cnyclear.com/public-engagement

To learn more about the Cayuga and Oswego County CLEAR initiative, visit www.cnyclear.com

About CLEAR

The CLEAR initiative is a community planning collaboration to help conceptualize potential impacts from future lake level changes. CLEAR will help identify opportunities to enhance connections and access to the water while increasing resiliency. As part of the initiative, local Steering Committees comprised of local community members, state agency experts and dedicated planning firms have been established. These committees reflect the various interests of the community and provide focused assistance to the State and public in assembling the CLEAR Plans.

As the local Steering Committees develop their CLEAR Plans, public engagement throughout the process will ensure the plan is a reflection of local needs and opportunities that will serve as a useful tool for building local capacity to adapt and thrive in the face of changing lake conditions.

Former Governor Andrew Cuomo first announced CLEAR in February 2020 to support local communities dealing with persistent high water levels along Lake Ontario, the lower Niagara River and the upper St. Lawrence River with the development of comprehensive resiliency strategies and planning to institute critical long-term protective measures and strengthen existing investments. CLEAR Plans will reflect the diverse perspectives, needs, interests, and watersheds within each region, and participation will reflect the socio-economic and geographic diversity of the regions including vulnerable and under-served populations.

CLEAR complements current infrastructure resiliency improvements by providing regional strategies with local actions to transition to more resilient land use including zoning, green infrastructure, more sustainable water-dependent businesses, and the development of initiatives and projects that will help to make the lakeshore communities and businesses be more resilient. The CLEAR initiative will build on local plans as well as the 2019 Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative (REDI).

CLEAR coastal communities are located in the eight counties along Lake Ontario, the lower Niagara River and the upper St. Lawrence River: Niagara, Orleans, Monroe, Wayne, Cayuga, Oswego, Jefferson, and St. Lawrence. To learn more about CLEAR, visit here.

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