Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper expands its jurisdiction

Buffalo, New York (WBEN) – Western New York’s water season officially opened Monday, which also brought the announcement of a major expansion of Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper’s geographic jurisdiction to the occasion of its 35th anniversary.

The new jurisdictional area in which the organization will expand its impact includes the entire eastern shoreline of Lake Erie and many communities located in the expanded watershed up to the Pennsylvania border.

“This action allows us to better integrate and engage the many diverse voices in Western New York, so our region can be better coordinated around clean water,” said Jill Jedlicka, Director executive of Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper. “Western New Yorkers are all residents of the Great Lakes, who share these resources and share the same future challenges. We are excited to collaborate with more Western New York residents through advocacy, volunteer events, idea sharing, and implementing projects to benefit our water resources fresh and freshwater. ecosystems.”

“Today marks an important milestone for Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper and our community as their expanded jurisdiction signifies a bold step toward more comprehensive water management in Western New York,” added Mitch Nowakowski , Fillmore District Councilor. “As we celebrate its 35th anniversary, I am proud to stand alongside and support an organization that exemplifies environmental leadership and dedication and am excited to see continued progress in preserving our water resources for generations future.”

While Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper is known for its leadership role in restoring the Buffalo River and improving ecosystems in Western New York over the past 35 years, Jedlicka outlined the top 10 challenges ongoing and the work that the organization and the community must prioritize over the years. come:

– Protect our Great Lakes by building community capacity and implementing coastal resilience projects;
– Continuous monitoring of water quality to detect PFAS, emerging contaminants and other threats;
– Advocate for local, state and federal resources for investments in water infrastructure such as sewers, shorelines and living ecosystems;
– Collect data and advocate for solutions to eliminate plastic pollution;
– Educate the next generation to become local stewards of our Great Lakes and local waterways;
– Restore fish and wildlife habitat, open spaces and create green connections between our community and the natural environment;
– Mitigate the harmful impacts of rainwater and nutrient runoff on our waterways;
– Clean up legacy pollution and prevent contamination of our shores and waterways;
– Implement water protection and restoration strategies with municipalities throughout our new watershed;
– Create equitable access to our waterways for all members of our Western New York community.