This was written by Bob Lonsberry and posted on his website. If any of you have ever been to Canadice Lake or Hemlock Lake, you know why I put this up. If you have a pristine protected lake in your area, you need to see this also.
My reply to it is at the end.
Also, you can post your two bits and here's the link:
http://www.lonsberry.com/writings.cfm?story=2091&go=4STATE SHOULD BUY HEMLOCK AND CANADICE
The state of New York should buy Canadice and Hemlock lakes.
They should become state parks or state forest or a wildlife management area. But they should become state property and they should become state property now.
Here’s the background.
Canadice and Hemlock are two of the 11 Finger Lakes of Central New York. They were formed in the troughs plowed and dammed by glaciers long ago. What makes these two lakes unique is the fact that they are undeveloped. Unlike the other Finger Lakes, they are not circled by cottages, mansions, stores and roads. They are relatively pristine.
That’s because about 100 years ago the city of Rochester – some 30 miles to the north – bought the lakes and some 7,000 acres of their watershed. By 1950, any old homes or buildings along the lake had been removed and forest quickly grew back. Rochester has used drinking water from these two lakes since 1876 – the year of Custer’s Last Stand – and keeping them clean has always been in the city’s interest.
Water from Canadice Lake flows by gravity through a pipe to a treatment plant near Hemlock Lake. The filtered water then flows by gravity to the Rush Reservoir and on to a couple of other reservoirs in the city, where gravity eventually takes it on to homes and businesses.
But here’s the rub.
There’s a lake a lot closer to Rochester. It’s called Lake Ontario. And the Monroe County Water Authority gets its water there. The authority sells Rochester some of the city’s water and could sell it all of its water.
Which means that the city doesn’t truly need Hemlock and Canadice lakes. They are useful, but not irreplaceable.
But they are valuable. Immensely valuable. As developable real estate, the lakes and the land around them are a gold mine. Upstate New York is a huge target of foreign real estate investment and speculation, and rich developers from all over the globe would love a piece of these two virgin lakes. The sales value of Canadice and Hemlock lakes to the city of Rochester is immense.
And the city of Rochester is broke.
Not bankrupt broke, but looking-at-a-gut-wrenching-budget-deficit broke. And people are talking. The buzz is that there is a buzz. And while the city says it has no plans to sell the lakes, the mayor won’t rule it out.
In fact, the mayor – when asked – was very receptive to the idea of the state buying the lakes.
Which gets to the point of this column.
The city of Rochester has done an outstanding job all these years as a steward of these lakes. It is a truly monumental contribution to the region and state. But the lakes are a long way from the city, and hardly any city residents visit them, and the city can’t any longer afford to protect Hemlock and Canadice.
Nor can the city much longer resist the temptation to talk to big-money developers.
Not that there is anything wrong with development. But neither is there anything wrong with balance. And if nine of the lakes are being used for cottages and homes, then it doesn’t seem too extreme to hope that two of them could be preserved in something approaching a natural state. A cottage on a lake is a wonderful and enjoyable thing, but it’s not exactly nature. Preserving Canadice and Hemlock lakes would be a preservation of nature.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a tree hugger. I believe in development and I believe the natural world is there for our use and enjoyment. But we can also use and enjoy the outdoors in its natural state.
So the state should step in.
The state should buy the lakes from Rochester, saving both the city and the lakes from an uncertain future. The state should assume the responsibility for the lakes care and keeping.
Exactly how that is done, smarter people will have to decide. Whether creating a state park to shelter them and their watersheds would be best, or merely buying the area and designating it state forest, or whether there might be some advantage to calling it a wildlife management area – I don’t know.
But the value of the lakes and the land around them is undeniable. Eagles and ospreys fly there, native fish swim there, old-growth trees tower there. The area is a gem, and it ought to be used for something other than vacation mansions for foreigners and out-of-staters.
I think an argument can be made that this is also a good political time for this to happen. Eliot Spitzer, the new governor, could champion the purchase and take credit for it. That would help him burnish his credential with environmentalists – who already love him – and sportsmen – who are wary of him.
The fact is that the state of New York runs through money like it’s going out of style. The state routinely throws huge piles of money anywhere it can.
This purchase would cost the state, but it would also reward the state. It would preserve indefinitely into the future the diamond rings on the Finger Lakes.
And here's my rantings:
# 48. 2/22/07 7:39 AM by Rick Sniders - Webster, NY
Robert, Never in a million years did I think the city would ever have to entertain a concept so stupid as selling the Canadice/Hemlock watershed. But, through years of mismanagement and feeble ideas of grandeur; reality has hit home. The city is in dire straits financially. Why? See any article relating to Grady over the past 10 years. I am however, hopeful of the Duffy/Brooks management team for the county and city. The watershed is a priceless treasure in these times. The recreational value is the obvious benefit, but, there is also the legacy we leave our kids and future generations by preserving these gems. I have walked Canadice and Hemlock, ice-fished and summer fished both. I have hunted both in years past (although I don't hunt anymore). The bald eagles flying a mile up, watching their young fishing; is a spectacle to behold-40 minutes from a medium sized city no less. The pristine condition of the shoreline and the fact that there is an old growth forest at Hemlock, should be enough to deter a bad decision by the city, or have the state make a good decision. With the advent over recent years of internet exploration, I have found many great sites regarding Hemlock/Canadice history, that is amazing, to say the least. We would be doing a dishonor to ourselves and visitors (there are people that visit these lakes quietly) to allow this to be the next bad move by politicians. When do we step up and have our say in deciding our future and what we believe to be the right thing to do here? This could/would be the start of a very bad thing if we allow a decision to be made by individuals who have never even set foot at either site and determine our destiny? New York state residents, listen when I tell you, "Don't let this happen, we'll all be very sorry". Hell, I'll volunteer to take these politicians down there to explore and see and smell and feel the jewels that are Canadice/Hemlock.
