By Keir Chapman, Published August 2, 2019
CLAYTON, N.Y. (WWNY) – The roundtable with north country Congresswoman Elise Stefanik was supposed to touch on different maritime issues.
But when the public had the floor, talks quickly turned to Plan 2014.
Some felt the plan, meant to manage water levels, is doing the opposite.
“No one has even added up the damage. They have no idea how much damage there is. But, I can tell you, it’s insurmountable and it’s 100 times more than any benefit that we’ve had so far,” said one member of the public.
Others say the cause of high water levels go beyond any plan.
“Mother Nature is the issue, and if you look at the line graph over decades, you’ll see that probably supports the idea that it’s not Plan 2014,” said another member of the public.
Stefanik says the need for a study on the environmental and economic impact of the plan has bi-partisan potential.
“We have both the lake and the river voices and members of Congress advocating for that. So, it’s an opportunity to come together,” said Stefanik (R. – 21st District).
The debate about Plan 2014 rages on, but a problem that has been flying under the radar is that recreational boating is still happening despite flood levels. And, not everybody is aware of that.
“People three miles from here don’t know we’re open for business. Three miles from Oswego, they think Oswego is closed because they saw that the marine was closed,” said a member of the public.
Stefanik says a large portion of the state’s economy is based on boats.
“This is a huge economic engine. New York is the top three of all states in the county when it comes to boating industry and maritime industry,” said Stefanik.
You can read the full article and watch the WWNY coverage at https://www.wwnytv.com
