MASSENA -- Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne says momentum is building to enhance waterfront development efforts from Lake Ontario to the locks in Massena.

The assemblywoman said her travels over the past two weeks have taken her from Massena to Sackets Harbor and Chaumont, and she is seeing positive strides being taken in community after community to boost the maritime- and tourism-related sectors of the economy in the River District, she said in a press release.

She said the warm and dry weather has also been the perfect antidote as communities like Clayton and Alexandria Bay seek to rebound from a down year for tourism last summer that were tied to high water levels.

Communities like Cape Vincent, Ogdensburg and Massena are working on plans for waterfront development improvements, said the press release from Jenne’s office.

She pointed out she was recently on hand for the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Abbe Picquet Trail at the former site of Fort de la Presentation at the confluence of the Oswegatchie and St. Lawrence rivers in Ogdensburg.

She noted the Fort de la Presentation Association continues to move forward toward its goal of constructing a replication of the fort and a Native American village at the site.

Jenne said Waddington will once again draw thousands of visitors to that community next month when it welcomes back the Bassmaster's Elite Series for a tournament stop that has become a popular stop for its anglers in recent years.

"Volunteers in that community, with the strong support of Mayor Janet Otto-Cassada, have embraced the tournament, and it has generated national and international attention to the quality of the fishing on the St. Lawrence River," Jenne said.

"It's really impressive when you take a look at the small group of local volunteers that have turned that event into a major success story," she added.

Jenne supported Sen. Charles Schumer's call for the federal Department of Transportation to fund the replacement of the visitor's center at Eisenhower Lock.

"I know this proposal has strong support from local officials and tourism leaders in the region. The existing facility shows its age, lacks the amenities sought by today's tourists and its location provides logistical issues for the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation with its maintenance work at the lock," she said.

Jenne said a new visitor's center with displays that could engage visitors would be another great attraction for the region.

She said the nearby Eugene L. Nicandri Nature Center at Robert Moses State Park is very popular and an updated visitor's center would add another strong draw for tourists to extend their stays in Massena.

"He is uniquely concerned about us here on the northern border and really works hard to make sure we get the investments that we need," Jenne said during Sen. Schumer's recent visit to Eisenhower Lock.

"I'm really appreciative of his focus on this part of our economy. It's extremely important," she added.

"He always works to bring infrastructure dollars here that provide construction jobs in the short term and provide facilities that can stimulate our economy in the long term," the assemblywoman said.