Calling all New York boaters! If you travel on the Erie Canal System, the State of New York wants suggestions on how the 195-year-old waterway could be updated. Community engagement sessions will be hosted by New York Power Authority.
In June 2019, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a “Reimagine the Canal” initiative to examine how the canal system could be updated in order to “boost local economies, inspire new opportunities for tourism and recreation, and strengthen environmental resiliency along the historic waterway,” the initiative’s website states.
In addition to three sessions already held in Lockport (July 15) and Brockport (July 16), one will take place in Syracuse on July 23 from 6-8 p.m. at the SUNY ESF Gateway Center, as well as one in Utica on July 30 from 6-8 p.m. at the SUNY Polytechnic Institute Campus Center.
“Any boater who uses the canal, including local boat owners; the cruising community, including snowbirds that transit the waterway each fall and spring on their annual migration; and out-of-state boaters doing the Great Loop, should speak up now or attend an event if they can,” says BoatUS Manager of Government Affairs David Kennedy. “While the state has previously invested in the canal’s future with more recreational boating amenities such as safe harbors to tie up for the night, we want to ensure that recreational boating is not minimized in the current decision-making process.”
Boaters can also submit comments online by visiting ny.gov/content/community-engagement-survey-reimagine-canals.
To learn more and to RSVP to the sessions, visit ny.gov/programs/reimagine-canals-initiative.
Photo courtesy of Paul Cooper/Flickr.
