This is not a column arguing against the building of housing on Geneva’s lakefront or against installation of an expensive-to-build-and-maintain marina on Seneca Lake. The arguments against those fool’s errands have been made elsewhere and more eloquently.

Instead, this is a column arguing for watershed protections across the Finger Lakes.

Hopefully, even those who want to build on, in, and up to the lake understand that such investments will have no value if the lake itself becomes a threat to human health and enjoyment. There are four items in need of the attention of all residents in and around the Finger Lakes to prevent the health of our lakes from declining any further than it already has.

First, the news has been full of reports about harmful algal blooms that close swimming areas, can poison pets, and cause illness to those who come into contact with the bacteria. It is not normal for our lakes to look like pea soup, and we should not turn a blind eye to this situation.

To address the issue we need to be willing to have honest and non-judgmental conversations about lake-friendly practices. We must start with the assumption that farmers want to be good stewards of the land, that wineries want to be sustainable, and that........

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