As we close out the year, I would like to share that we have been excited to see the impact of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) starting to hit the ground here in the Basin in recent months.

Projects supported with BIL funds will enhance the ability of fish and wildlife to move freely in streams and rivers, help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species, and increase the number of native trees seedlings available for habitat conservation projects.

We’re looking forward to offering more BIL-funded grants in the new year, including funds to protect lands with high conservation value.

We’re also looking forward to the release of the next Lake Champlain State of the Lake and Ecosystem Indicators Report in June. LCBP staff and committees have been hard at work analyzing data and developing materials for the report. Stay tuned for more information!

The LCBP welcomed Grace Palmer as Communications and Publications Associate in November. Grace supports communications efforts by helping to develop content for our print and digital channels and maintain LCBP websites. Grace holds a B.A. in Environment & Sustainability from Barnard College and has completed research measuring soil carbon in a temperate deciduous forest and investigating pollinator interactions in Ecuador. She has written about climate and the environment for a variety of publications including the Earth Institute and the Columbia Spectator. In addition to her work at LCBP, Grace is an experimental dance artist, backcountry skier, and sourdough bread baker. This isn‘t Grace’s first rodeo with the LCBP; she worked with us as a boat launch steward in 2020. Welcome back to the team, Grace!

The LCBP awarded more than $5.3 million in grants in 2023 to protect and restore water quality and habitat with funding made available through the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). Projects supported by the grants will enhance the ability of fish and other animals to move freely up- and down-stream in rivers, help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species, and increase the number of native trees seedlings available for habitat conservation projects.

Look out for new RFPs for BIL-funded grants in spring 2024.

Read more about the LCBP’s 2023 BIL-funded projects →

Two years after the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), projects funded by the law are already reconnecting streams and rivers in the Lake Champlain Basin.

Several key stream restoration projects that concluded this fall—the first to wrap up of nearly 20 projects initiated earlier this year—are increasing salmon and trout habitat, protecting clean water, and reducing costly flood damage to infrastructure.

Read more about the stream restoration projects →

The 2023 Lake Champlain Boat Launch Steward season wrapped up mid-October. Stewards shared the Clean, Drain, Dry message and inspected watercraft for aquatic invasive species to prevent their movement to other waterbodies.

The role of watercraft decontamination continued to grow this summer with the addition of a new washing station at the Converse Bay fishing access area in Charlotte, VT.

A hot-water, high-pressure wash is used on high-risk watercraft to flush out and kill invasive species in bilge, motors, and ballast tanks, and remove plants and animals from boat exteriors.

LCBP stewards decontaminated 320 watercraft at four launches in Vermont this summer. Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute stewards operated seven additional decontamination stations in New York.

Learn more about AIS spread prevention →

The Vermont Citizens Advisory Committee on Lake Champlain’s Future unveiled the 2024 Lake Champlain Action Plan at its November 13th meeting at the Community Sailing Center in Burlington, VT.

The 2024 plan highlights the need for investment in natural and developed infrastructure for resilience, equitable public access and recreation, aquatic invasive species spread prevention, sustainable agriculture, water quality enforcement, and water quality monitoring and mitigation for contaminant pollution.

The VTCAC is a governor-appointed advisory committee charged with making an annual report of recommendations to the Governor and Vermont Legislature. The committee welcomes the public to attend its meetings.

Read the 2024 Lake Champlain Action Plan →

The LCBP, in coordination with NEIWPCC, is pleased to announce several new funding opportunities:

Large Education and Outreach Projects
Proposals for large education and outreach projects will address strategies and tasks outlined in the Informed and Involved Public chapter of the Lake Champlain management plan Opportunities for Action (OFA). Priority topics for these grants include road salt, phosphorus loading and cyanobacteria, aquatic organism passage, climate change adaptation, and education and interpretation at recreation access areas. Awarded projects through this RFP will begin work in January 2025.
Award amount: $15,000 to $50,000 per project
Deadline: January 5, 2024

Organizational Support Projects
Proposals for projects will support increased organizational capacity and long-term effectiveness of watershed organizations working to implement elements of Opportunities for Action. The intent of this grant category is to assist watershed organizations with the early stages of their development or to assist established watershed organizations in strengthening their organizational capacity. The goal is to increase capacity, not to develop new programming or to implement projects (this work can be requested in other LCBP grant competitions). Awarded projects through this RFP will begin work in May 2024.
Award amount: up to $20,000 per project
Deadline: January 5, 2024

Visit our the LCBP website for details of these RFPs and to apply →

The LCBP and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are accepting Letters of Request for the Lake Champlain Watershed Environmental Assistance Program projects.

This program awards design and construction services provided by the New York District of the Corps for planning, designing and implementation of projects that protect and enhance water quality, water supply, and ecosystem integrity.

Project awards consist of federal services (not cash) equal to 65% of the total project cost for the projects. The local sponsor must provide a match of 35% in non-federal funds, through cash or in-kind services.

Learn more about the Lake Champlain Watershed Environmental Assistance Program and watch a recording of an informational workshop for the program →

Northeast Aquatic Plant Management Society
January 9-11, 2024
New Castle, NH
The Northeast Aquatic Plant Management Society (NEAPMS) will be holding its 25th anniversary meeting. NEAPMS is dedicated to understanding the unique needs of aquatic plant management in the Northeast and communicating that knowledge to both the public and private sectors.
Learn more and register →

National Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force Meeting
January 24-25, 2024
USGS National Center, Reston, VA
The Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force works to protect the waters of the United States by creating a coordinated, unified network that raises awareness and takes action to prevent and manage aquatic nuisance species.
Learn more and register →

Love the Lake Winter Speaker Series
February 22 & 29, March 7 & 14, 6:30-7:30
Gordon Center House, Grand Isle, VT
Join the LCBP for warm conversations and tasty desserts on cold winter evenings.

• February 22, 2024: Dr. Ellen Marsden, University of Vermont, on aquatic invasive species
• February 29, 2024: TBD
• March 7, 2024: Dr. Matthew Vaughan, LCBP Chief Scientist, on the July flooding event
• March 14, 2024: Chris Sabick, Executive Director of the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, on the gunboat Spitfire

Northeast Aquatic Biologists Conference
February 14-16, 2024
Lake Morey Resort, Fairlee, VT
The NAB Conference, coordinated by NEIWPCC in partnership with member states and EPA, preserves the spirit and tradition of providing a forum for the professional sharing of knowledge and collaboration that the aquatic and environmental biologist community in the Northeast represents.
Learn more →

National Green Infrastructure Certification Program
March – April 2024
Lake Champlain Sea Grant is hosting a green infrastructure training course in Spring 2024. Learn about best practices for managing stormwater runoff and protecting water quality, including green stormwater infrastructure installation, inspection, and maintenance.
Learn more and register →

Annual Nonpoint Source Conference
April 10-12. 2024
Old Saybrook, CT
The Annual NPS Conference is the premier forum in the Northeast for sharing information and improving communication on NPS pollution issues and projects. The theme for 2024 is Climate Resiliency through NPS Outreach and Implementation.
The call for abstracts is open through January 6, 2024.
Learn more and submit an abstract →

Watershed for Every Classroom
July 16–19, 2024 and and five additional days in 2024 and 2025
Various Locations
Explore the stories of the Lake Champlain Basin as told by its people and places. Learn how these stories offer a variety of ways to teach all subjects and engage students in learning in and about their community while building their sense of belonging to their home place.

The program is best suited for educators working with grades 4-9 but is applicable to all subject areas and grades.

Learn more and register →

LCBP Committee Meetings

• LCBP Technical Advisory Committee, January 3, 2024
• Vermont Citizens Advisory Committee, January 8, 2024
• Lake Champlain Executive Committee, January 18, 2024
• New York Citizens Advisory Committee, January 22, 2024
• LCBP Education & Outreach Advisory Committee, February 5, 2024
• LCBP Technical Advisory Committee, February 7, 2024
• Lake Champlain Executive Committee, February 15, 2024
• LCBP Technical Advisory Committee, March 6, 2024
• Lake Champlain Executive Committee, March 14, 2024

View the LCBP’s full meeting schedule →