A 1,700-mile stretch of eastern Lake Ontario was recently named a marine sanctuary, however, there’s concern in Washington regarding a conservative policy document known as Project 2025 that calls for the dismantling of the agency that supports the sanctuaries.

What You Need To Know

  •  A 1,700-mile stretch of eastern Lake Ontario – from Sodus to Oswego, up to Cape Vincent – was recently named an official Marine Sanctuary, essentially a national park on the water

  • However, Project 2025 calls for the dismantling of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the agency that supports marine sanctuaries

  • Democrats and Republicans pushed for the designation and are eager to see this remain the way it is, but admit there could be funding concerns

There was a celebration in Oswego.

People up and down the eastern Lake Ontario shoreline took pride in the nearly 10 years of work it took to get that portion of waterway declared an official marine sanctuary.

“We embarked on this, recognizing that it would be possibly transformational for our region,” Oswego County Administrator Philip Church said.

The official designation includes a major boost in resources, education, research and grant money from a federal agency known as NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

“The opportunity is to really tell the story of the Lake Ontario Marine Sanctuary here locally, but also around the sanctuary system,” NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Director John Armor said.

However, that future could be in question.

“What you're going to hear tonight is a detailed and dangerous plan called Project 2025,” Vice President Kamala Harris said during the ABC News 2024 Presidential Debate.

In the lead up to the presidential election, Democrats continue to try and connect Republican Donald Trump to the policy proposal known as Project 2025.

“That's out there. I haven't read it. I don't want to read it purposely. I'm not going to read it,” Trump said regarding Project 2025 during the ABC News 2024 Presidential Debate.

While the former president denies any involvement with Project 2025, that policy guide does have a section that calls for the dismantling of NOAA due to climate change views. Trump has said he does endorse some of Project 2025’s goals, but has not been specific.

“In terms of NOAA, you also have to reflect on all other organizations at the federal level. They're all under the same gun every four years,” retired Jefferson County Administrator Bob Hagemann said.

Hagemann has supported and pushed for the Eastern Lake Ontario designation since day one. He says he has zero concerns for the future of NOAA or the future of this new sanctuary.

“It didn't happen eight years ago. It didn't happen four years ago. It's not going to happen come next January,” Hagemann proclaimed.

Instead, he believes under a Trump presidency, funding for NOAA may level out with no increases.

“Now, there are 16 sanctuaries, not 15. So, the pie gets sliced a little bit differently,” Hagemann said.

No matter the future, supporters of the sanctuary and its future promise to be loud and clear.

“This is beyond partisan politics, beyond partisan positions in that there is no R, there's no D, there's no I,” state Department of State Secretary Walter Mosely, a Democrat, said.

Support that, Hageman says, is demonstrated by the number of local, state and federal Democrats and Republicans that were at this event.

It’s also important to note, the designation of marine sanctuary will never go away. Even if something changes, Eastern Lake Ontario will forever be known as a "national park on the water."