Last Revised 2/05/01
Statement of Watershed Restoration & Protection Plan Vision, Goals & Purpose
Vision
The Intermunicipal Organization envisions Cayuga Lake recognized and valued by all watershed residents as the watershed's foremost natural feature and resource, deserving of and receiving protection via watershed-wide adoption of land-use plans that minimize pollution and sprawl, preserve viewsheds and soils, and result in a sustainable and diverse economy that provides satisfying employment for all residents able to work and that contributes to regional self-sufficiency, all in a non-discriminatory, equitable, and cooperative manner.
A single vision for the Cayuga Lake Watershed is impossible
to define without being overly simplistic. Who doesn't want high water quality?. We all
agree that clean water is essential.
Other than clean water, the more difficult question is, what do we want the watershed to
look like in the future and how do we get there?
Goals
The Intermunicipal Organization (IO) will work through the development and implementation of the RPP to promote the understanding that is vital to maintain and improve the ecological health and beauty of the watershed and the protection and preservation of Cayuga Lake, along with building and maintaining a productive economy in order to sustain a healthy social environment for the people of the Cayuga Lake Watershed. The cooperating municipalities share a number of common goals, including:
minimize nonpoint source pollution of both surface and groundwater in the watershed;
the remediation of existing pollution and degradation;
the preservation of open space and natural resources;
the expansion of economic activities consistent with the watershed environment;
developing programs for educating the public and public officials;
developing compatible components of their comprehensive plans and zoning and natural-resource ordinances;
exploring mutually beneficial ways of securing and
sharing federal, state, and county-agency
funding for the programs that accomplish their objectives in the above areas;
sharing the costs of monitoring compliance and enforcement of regulation;
the resolution of disputes regarding development projects with intermunicipal impacts;
the resolution of disputes regarding development projects that impact environmentally sensitive areas;
working with federal, state, and county agencies and
authorities to assure that their activities in
the watershed are compatible with the plans and programs of the cooperating
municipalities; and
understand ecosystem dynamics within the watershed in an effort to prevent and/or respond to threats to its integrity.
Purpose
The purpose of the IO according to the Memorandum of Understanding establishing it is "to develop a Cayuga Lake Watershed Management Plan (RPP) and oversee and administer it." To this end, the IO operates under the following expanded statement of purpose:
The purpose of the IO is to recognize the interrelatedness of all activities within our watershed and to collaboratively and collectively work to address issues and problems. The goal is to promote understanding that is vital to maintain and improve the ecological health and beauty of the watershed along with building and maintaining a productive economy and also sustain a healthy social environment for the people of the Cayuga Lake Watershed.
The charge of developing a RPP includes the need to:
establish watershed priorities;
approve an annual work plan and budget;
approve requests for funding and for endorsement of projects consistent with the priorities;
provide a forum for all municipalities within the watershed to interact and exchange information; and
review technical and fiscal summary reports.
CLW IO 2004