PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE A note from the President of the Oneida Lake Association Board of Directors

To the OLA Membership: As a lifelong resident of the Oneida Lake watershed who enjoyed a career dedicated to the lake at Cornell University’s Shackelton Point Field Station, I am honored to be your next president. Outgoing President Matt Snyder's energetic, effective service to this organization will be a hard act to follow. Thank you, Matt! Now, I am ready to lead with a commitment to excellence in protecting, restoring, and preserving our invaluable natural resource.

The Oneida Lake Association boasts two attributes that make it one of the strongest environmental organizations in central New York and the nation: a strong, active membership and a devoted board of directors. One of our strengths lies in our numbers - over 3000 members. With your help, we can do better! As our board of directors wrestles with issues like cormorant control, “people power” makes a huge difference.

I challenge every OLA member to recruit just one new member, thereby strengthening our Oneida Lake lobbying advocacy. You can enroll a new member by going to our website: oneidalakeassociation.org or by calling (315) 675-3103. We can be proud of our board of directors - they are second to none in their dedication to Oneida Lake's well being. Our board includes persons from diversified professions such as business, environmental stewardship, fishing, education, real estate, accounting, engineering, and law.

Our job as Oneida Lake’s environmental guardians never ceases and, partnered with other stakeholders and government officials, we can make a difference. The cormorant issue exemplifies this point. The letters and emails from our members, the support of state and local officials, and the enduring vigilance of our board of directors presented a united front that swayed public policy. A case in point - by the time you receive this Bulletin, the U.S. Senate may have passed a budget bill, already approved by the House of Representatives, that reinstates USDA funding for cormorant control on Oneida Lake. OLA pressure contributed mightily to these legislative actions.

Finally, let me re-emphasize the importance of OLA membership and its “people power” pressure on decision-makers. Remember to sign up one new member - it’s a sound investment in Oneida Lake’s future. I am honored to be your president and look forward to representing you. Together, we can make things happen.

Edward L. Mills
President, Oneida Lake Association