Part of Governor Cuomo’s State Coastal Lakeshore Economy and Resiliency Initiative to Help Flood-prone Communities with Planning 

Workshops Offer Public Engagement Opportunities in Collaborative Planning

The New York State Department of State today announced five public workshops for Lake Ontario communities to engage with DOS on its Coastal Lakeshore Economy and Resiliency Initiative (CLEAR) to help improve coastal resiliency and community planning. CLEAR will support local communities dealing with periodic extreme water levels along Lake Ontario, the lower Niagara River and the upper St. Lawrence River with the development of comprehensive resiliency strategies and plans to institute critical long-term protective measures and strengthen existing investments. 

New York State Secretary of State Rossana Rosado said, “I am thrilled to invite the public to participate in the CLEAR initiative.  At the Department of State, we provide tools and opportunities to empower communities around the State to better address unique local challenges and achieve their vision for a brighter future. Through CLEAR, we will build on New York’s historic investments in coastal infrastructure as we build toward a more vibrant and resilient New York State.” 

The CLEAR initiative is a community planning collaboration to help conceptualize potential impacts from future lake level changes. CLEAR will help identify opportunities to enhance connections and access to the water while increasing resiliency. As part of the initiative, local Steering Committees comprised of local community members, state agency experts and dedicated planning firms have been established. These committees reflect the various interests of the community and provide focused assistance to the State and public in assembling the CLEAR Plans.   

As the local Steering Committees develop their CLEAR Plans, public engagement throughout the process will ensure the plan is a reflection of local needs and opportunities that will serve as a useful tool for building local capacity to adapt and thrive in the face of changing lake conditions. The first public workshops, which will provide an overview of CLEAR, are taking place as follows: 

Niagara and Orleans Counties 

Wednesday, June 9 

5:00 – 6:00 pm 

1. niagaraorleansclear.com 

Monroe County 

Thursday, June 10 

12:00 – 1:00 pm & 6:00 – 7:00 pm 

1. monroecountyclear.com

Wayne County: 

Thursday, June 10  

5:00 – 6:00 pm 

1. waynecountyclear.com
2. Lawrence and Jefferson Counties

Tuesday, June 29  

6:00 – 7:30 pm 

1. northcountryclear.com

Cayuga and Oswego Counties: 

Wednesday, June 30 

6:00 – 7:30 pm 

1. cnyclear.com

 Governor Cuomo first announced CLEAR in February 2020 to support local communities dealing with persistent high water levels along Lake Ontario, the lower Niagara River and the upper St. Lawrence River with the development of comprehensive resiliency strategies and planning to institute critical long-term protective measures and strengthen existing investments. CLEAR Plans will reflect the diverse perspectives, needs, interests, and watersheds within each region, and participation will reflect the socio-economic and geographic diversity of the regions including vulnerable and under-served populations. 

CLEAR complements current infrastructure resiliency improvements by providing regional strategies with local actions to transition to more resilient land use including zoning, green infrastructure, more sustainable water-dependent businesses, and the development of initiatives and projects that will help to make the lakeshore communities and businesses be more resilient. The CLEAR initiative will build on local plans as well as the 2019 Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative (REDI).

CLEAR coastal communities are located in the eight counties along Lake Ontario, the lower Niagara River and the upper St. Lawrence River: Niagara, Orleans, Monroe, Wayne, Cayuga, Oswego, Jefferson, and St. Lawrence.  To learn more about CLEAR, visit here.