To The Reader’s Forum:

Based on The Post-Journal article Saturday March 2, 2024, T. J. Pignataro, DEC Assistant Public Information officer declared that the Chautauqua Lake “South Basin is Likely to Become a Protected Wetlands Area” when the new 2025 rules take effect.

This is unbelievable to us as our lakefront home has been in our family since 1910! Generations of our family have spent countless weekends and 4ths of July enjoying the lake for more than 100 years. In fact our new neighbors call us the “fun” people because that’s what we do there – we have picnics, we fish, we go out on the boat, swim, we have campfires, the kids sing songs and play, and we all enjoy being together on the lake.

During our long time on the lake, the only time our bay has been bad in terms of weeds was when no herbicides were used. The CLA coming by to cut weeds once or twice a season was not nearly enough. But, in the past couple of years this has turned around and Burtis Bay is as beautiful as the rest of the lake. How is it possible the DEC (and our state), gets to decide to declare our bay as wetlands?

Please help us save Chautauqua Lake, Particularly Burtis Bay, and the many homes in this beautiful bay from becoming a “Protected Wetlands Area”. Many homeowners and lake users are at great risk of losing enjoyment of our lake, as the DEC has apparently decided, regardless of public opinion, or the rights of Lakefront property owners, to intentionally let Burtis Bay of Chautauqua Lake turn into a swamp, bog, marsh, ETC.

Not only will the DEC’s plan significantly devalue our homes, the tax lowering ramifications from our Lakefront properties to what “Swampfront” property owners will pay, will need to be passed on to the entire county, financially devastating an already unstable Chautauqua County economy.

This is so wrong. We love our lake and are ready, willing and able to fight for our beautiful lake so that future generations can enjoy it too. So far, our letters, calls and voices are falling on deaf ears, so if this does get published, I ask my fellow neighbors that also care about the lake to reach out to the DEC and their elected representatives to add their voices and help prevent this travesty from happening to our part of the state.

Lydia Mosgeller

Ellicott