What’s in This Issue
This month’s issue features a year-end message of thanks from our Association’s President, an upcoming EGLE shoreline stewardship webinar, volunteer opportunities in our Lake Steward program and a reminder about our year-end giving appeal. We hope you find this ebulletin informative and welcome any feedback. If you have any comments, please send them to [email protected]
Year-End Letter from Our President
To All Who Love and Support Lake Leelanau,
It has been an unprecedented year in the forty year history of your Lake Association.
I am pleased to report that 2021 was a year of significant developments, including:
- The founding of Friends of Lake Leelanau Foundation
Thanks to an initiative conceived and led by Jennie and Darren Keller, a new public foundation has been established to protect Lake Leelanau and its surrounding watershed for future generations. In the coming year, the Foundation’s focus will be to begin building an endowment which, over time, will become large enough that its income will be sufficient to protect Lake Leelanau from aquatic Invasive species far into the future. To learn more, please visit the Foundation’s website, friendsoflakeleelanau.com
- A commitment by Jennie and Darren Keller to cover the costs of the Association’s aquatic weed control program for the next three years
By that time the new Foundation’s endowment should be large enough that the income will cover these costs.
- The second full year of our all-out battle with Eurasian watermilfoil (EWM), the most invasive aquatic weed in North America
Led by Lake Biologist Brian Price; board members Jim Wysor and Lonnie Rademacher; Ron Reimink and a team of contractors and divers, we made important headway in our fight to gain an upper hand over EWM.
- The second year of our historic partnership with the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians
Under the leadership of Carolan Sonderegger and Dan Mays, the Band provided equipment, manpower, resources and advice to help mitigate the EWM problem and restore treated areas with native plants.
- The construction of the first boat cleaning station on Lake Leelanau
Thanks to the leadership of board members Nancy Popa and Lonnie Rademacher, and the generous support of the Grand Traverse Band, the first boat cleaning station opened In late summer at the Bingham boat launch on South Lake Leelanau.
- The Association’s largest fundraising event, an online auction, conceived and led by a dedicated team of board members and volunteers
The volunteers included Diane Pelak, Steve Lindo, Laura Paine, Andy Jamieson, Doug Van Dyke and Carol Rademacher. The event, which featured items from original artworks to water skiing lessons, raised $67,000.
These accomplishments could have not been achieved without the dedication, commitment and extraordinary support of the community.
On behalf of the board of directors, we thank each of you for investing in your community and making the work of the Association possible.
With best wishes for a safe and healthy 2022,
Tom Hiatt
President, Lake Leelanau Lake Association
Volunteers Needed for Our Shoreline Stewards Program
If you’d like to get to know others interested in protecting the shoreline, connect with other riparians and learn more about being a lake steward, we have the perfect opportunity for you! The volunteer work involves becoming familiar with shoreline best practices, delivering Lake Steward welcome packages and, if interested, training to become a Shoreline Ambassador. After getting up to speed on best practices, the expected time commitment will be 2-3 hours per month interfacing with others. Please contact Nancy Popa, our Shoreline Stewardship Ambassador, at [email protected] or 231-944-9509 to find out more about this exciting volunteer opportunity.
January 25 EGLE Webinar: Advancing Inland Lake Stewardship Through Shoreline Best Management Practices
Click here if you’d like to register for the upcoming EGLE webinar taking place from 1-2pm on Tuesday, January 25. The webinar will provide an overview of the Best Management Practices for lakefront shoreline protection and erosion control, including bioengineering, riprap, and replacement of existing seawalls. The webinar will also cover considerations for determining the best shoreline protection method at your site, basic descriptions and information on the different methods, and the new Minor Project categories for seawall replacement permit applications.
Year-End Giving
If you’re still considering your year-end giving, it’s not too late to include a gift to LLLA. If you’d like to contribute, simply mail a check with “2021 Year-End Appeal” in the memo line to Lake Leelanau Lake Association, PO Box 123, Leland, MI 49654.
Help Your Friends and Neighbors Stay Informed
Do you have friends or neighbors who care about the quality and beauty of Lake Leelanau but don’t receive our ebulletins? If so, please forward this ebulletin to them and all they have to do is reply with their name to [email protected]. We’ll take care of adding them to our mailing list for future issues.
Lake Leelanau Lake Association is a non-profit organization led by and for individuals, families and businesses who support its mission to protect and enhance the quality and beauty of Lake Leelanau and its surrounding watershed for current and future generations. If you would like to make a donation to support our programs, you can do so here on our website. If you would like to help our programs as a volunteer, send a message to [email protected]