The year 2009 will be monumental for the Lake Champlain region, as New York, Vermont and Quebec commemorate the quadricentenniel of Samuel de Champlain's discovery of the lake that bears his name.

What would the French explorer think of the lake and its shorelines should he sail its broad waters today? Would he be excited to see the growth and prosperity the region now enjoys, or would he be shocked at the loss of the pristine quality Lake Champlain must have provided him 400 years ago?

With that in mind, it is time again, as we enter 2008, to remember just how fragile the lake is and how important it is for all of us to play a role in protecting it for both the plants and animals the survival of which depend on its health and for the people who thrive from it.

Organizations and agencies, such as the Lake Champlain Committee and the Departments of Environmental Conservation (on both sides of the lake) and every municipality that shares the lake's shoreline all play an important role in guaranteeing the lake remains healthy and productive.

But one group that has worked feverishly for more than a decade on lake protection is the Lake Champlain Basin Program, a federally funded group of experts who keep constant watch on what is happening in, on and around Lake Champlain.

It's important to remember that Lake Champlain is not just a lake. It's a water system, transporting water from the Adirondack and Green mountains to the St. Lawrence Seaway and eventually the Atlantic Ocean.

That complicated basin is home to more than 600,000 residents and welcomes a million or more visitors to its lakes, ponds and streams annually. Protecting the ecology, water quality and cultural heritage of the more than 8,000 square miles that encompass the drainage basin is, after all, the tricky part of the process.

Over the years, the Basin Program has published several reports on the state of the lake and what direction lake management should take. This year, staff members are concentrating on an update of the lake's condition, including such problematic areas as aquatic nuisance species, water quality and phosphorus control.

To include the public in their activities, Basin Program staff will hold a series of informational meetings throughout the basin. We believe it is imperative for the public to attend these meetings, learn about the issues the lake faces and let the officials know that we want to be a part of any overall management plans.

Dealing with scientific issues can be complex and confusing. But having the best personnel to analyze scientific information so it can be passed on to the public in an understandable format is the most sensible way to allow the public its say. We need to rely on expert advice so we can make sound decisions based on understanding.

The Basin Program received good news in late 2007 when it learned that funding for 2008 will be maintained. Any organization that relies on government funding knows how nerve-wracking it can be to await the news of funding status. For Lake Champlain, the money is there, the experts are in place to funnel the funds in the appropriate direction, and the public is poised to reap the benefits of a healthier lake.

Based on 1999 statistics from the Basin Program, Lake Champlain generates more than $2.2 billion annually in tourism, including $32 million in fishing and $50 million in bird and wildlife viewing. Where would we be without the gem we call Lake Champlain attracting such a lucrative income?

Letting the lake deteriorate would certainly be ill advised.