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MONTPELIER, Vt. (2/23/2006) -- While the Lake Champlain Quadricentennial is still nearly three years away, the Lake Champlain Quadricentennial Commission has been at work planning a commemoration of 400 years of history and culture in the Lake Champlain region.
The Quadricentennial Commission, created by Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas, has completed work on the first phase of its strategic plan.
The Quadricentennial Commission, in looking ahead to 2009, has looked back at what was done for previous commemorations of Lake Champlain's anniversary in 1909 and 1959.
It has also received public input at a series of meetings and has been working closely with similar groups in New York and Quebec.
"Lake Champlain is one of the most important natural, cultural and recreational resources that Vermont has, and we want to design a commemoration that speaks to every aspect of that," Tourism and Marketing Commissioner Bruce Hyde, who was appointed chair of the Lake Champlain Quadricentennial Commission, said in a news release.
"All of our work to date has been leading up to producing this strategic plan so that we'll have a very good guide for how the Quadricentennial will unfold in 2009."
The Quadricentennial will mark the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the explorer Samuel de Champlain in 1609.
However, in 2009, the focus of the Quadricentennial will be much broader, with an emphasis on promoting the rich natural and cultural heritage that is connected with the Lake Champlain region.
The Quadricentennial will coincide with the date of full implementation of Douglas's Clean and Clear Action Plan. A major component of the plan is to accelerate the cleanup of Lake Champlain and its tributaries from 2016 to 2009, to coincide with the Quadricentennial.
"We've already received a great deal of input so far on what folks would like to see as part of the Quadricentennial," Hyde said.
"We've used that to help create the draft strategic plan, and now we would like the public to look at it again as a more complete plan and vision and get their feedback."
Copies of the strategic plan are available from the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing and the Lake Champlain Basin Program.
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