The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has released of a draft proposal for a national marine sanctuary in eastern Lake Ontario and the Thousand Islands region of the St. Lawrence River. The proposed sanctuary designation celebrates upstate New York’s unique maritime heritage and provides a national stage for promoting the region’s tourism and recreational opportunities.
NOAA is proposing to designate up to a 1,786-square mile area of Lake Ontario and the Thousand Islands region adjacent to Jefferson, Wayne, Oswego, Cayuga, and St. Lawrence counties in New York that serves as a gateway between the Great Lakes and the ocean. The nominated area contains 64 known shipwrecks and one aircraft representing events spanning more than 200 years of our nation’s history. Based on historical records, an additional 20 shipwrecks and three aircraft may be located there.
The sanctuary nomination originated as community-based initiative and continues to be locally driven. Submitted in 2017 by the Counties of Oswego, Jefferson, Cayuga, and Wayne, and the City of Oswego and supported by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, the nomination laid the groundwork to provide greater protections for these well-preserved shipwrecks in Lake Ontario. NOAA has continued to keep local experts and the community’s wishes front-and-center by establishing a “pre-designation” sanctuary advisory council to help inform the designation process and focus stakeholder participation.
Often referred to as underwater parks, this national marine sanctuary would enhance many existing state and federal protections for shipwrecks without limiting uses like fishing, boating, and shipping. The sanctuary designation would also bring new opportunities for research, educational programming, community engagement, and economic development. If designated, New York State and NOAA would co-manage the sanctuary.
Before any further action is taken, NOAA is seeking public feedback. NOAA is hosting four public meetings in August to provide more information on the draft proposal and collect public comments. For more information on the proposed sanctuary and to submit comments, see the Federal Register notice (NOAA-NOS-2021-0050) at https://bit.ly/2VnZ3rC.
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