State Sen. Patty Ritchie says she’s encouraged by the progress of the International Joint Commission on a long-delayed plan for maintaining water levels in the St. Lawrence River and the Eastern Lake Ontario Basin.

“The new plan appears to have gained the support of communities and interested groups from Buffalo and Rochester, as well as St. Lawrence River groups that traditionally have had conflicting goals,” said Senator Ritchie, in a letter she sent Friday to Lana Pollack IJC’s US Chair.

“But I still have concerns that representatives of our ports in Oswego and Ogdensburg may not be aware of the specifics of how the plan would impact their operations.”

Ritchie offered to broker a meeting between the Commission, other interested parties and port officials to gain their input, and insure that the final plan meets the needs both of protecting shipping interests, as well as recreational and environmental needs.

“After more than a decade of trying to develop a plan that takes into consideration the needs of shoreline property owners, boaters, commercial shippers and the environment, it’s my understanding that the IJC has developed a new compromise water regulatory plan that appears to have gained widespread support from a large number of groups that have a stake in the future of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River,” said Ritchie in her letter to Pollack.