TO:
MLA Members and Friends of MLA
FROM:
Molly Z. Zins,
Welcome to MLA’s monthly
MLA NEWS
MLA and Rivers Council
Joint Membership Meeting to Vote on the Merger
On November 28 from 7pm—8:30pm at the Medina
Entertainment Center there will be a joint membership meeting to vote on the
merger of the MLA and Rivers Council of Minnesota (RCM) into Minnesota
Waters. In December 2004, the Boards
of Directors of the MLA, the Freshwater Society (FWS) and the Rivers Council of
Minnesota (RCM) each voted an intent to merge. While MLA and RCM Boards and members
approved the Plan of Merger in May, FWS did not have the “super majority” they
needed to approve the Plan of Merger. The three organizations have been working
out an alternative arrangement reflecting the original plan of merger as closely
as possible. As part of the process, the members of MLA and RCM will vote on the
new Plan of Merger on November 28.
Directions: the Medina Entertainment Center is located just 4 miles west of Hwy 494 on Hwy 55, about
20 minutes from Downtown Minneapolis.
Take I-494 to Hwy 55.
Go west on Hwy 55 for 4 miles.
The Center will be on the north side (on your right) on Hwy
55.
Look for the highway sign and reader board. For more information on the meeting and
the plan of merger documents, click
here.
Summary of Plan
of Merger
Effective
Lakes and Rivers
Conference 2006—Call for Conference Session Ideas
The MLA is beginning
program planning for the 2006 Lakes and Rivers Conference, September 7-9 at the Duluth Convention
Center and we need your input. MLA members and friends are encouraged to
consider which session topics will be most helpful for your organization and
lake stewardship initiatives. Please
contact Keri at the MLA office (800-515-5253 or keri@mnlakes.org) with your input or
conference session ideas and together we’ll make it a great
conference!
HOT
TOPICS
Study Looks at
Beltrami County Lakes
Excerpted from
an article
by Brad Swenson, Bemidji Pioneer
A preliminary
study of Beltrami County lakes would put more than 50 under special
environmental protection, doubling the current number of lakes in that category.
The Special Protection lake classification is among the most restrictive by the
state Department of Natural Resources, intended to protect the lake by
restricting development. In January
the county put in place a year-long moratorium on development along Natural
Environment lakes, a restrictive category but above that of Special Protection.
The moratorium affects 183 such lakes, with 25 lakes exempted mostly because
they are 100 acres or larger and enough information is known about them. “Is the Natural Environment
classification doing the job?”
The group set a
list of criteria to judge the Natural Environment lakes, and recommended several
options on how to classify the scored lakes. Under the most restrictive option
an additional 59 lakes would move from Natural Environment to Special Protection
classification. Nine criteria were used
to rank the Natural Environment lakes, taking in a number of factors including
the percent of wetlands within the shore impact zone, depth of the lake, percent
of emerging vegetation, documented endangered species in the shoreland area,
special or unique fish habitat, percent of private ownership within the
shoreland area, percentage of hydric soils and percentage of erodible land. Points were given in each category, with
bonus points given for such things as a white cedar wetland, historical
documentation of wild rice or a lake with trout suitability or naturally
sustaining walleye population. The
committee is also recommending that a new Natural Environment classification be
made for lakes that fall between the current Natural Environment classification
and Special Protection.
Big Idea Proposed for
Big Developments
Excerpted from
an article by Sarah Horner,
It's a big idea for big lake
developments in
The developer
would not lose any lots through the alternate approach. The same number of lots
that are allowed through lot-by-lot would be available in a conservation
subdivision. Lejcher said the concept should be
welcomed in
Everyone
Should be a Watchdog of Water Quality
Drive around the west metro
area these days and you're likely to see signs of growth and economic activity
everywhere. Large earthmoving
machines scrape and dig the land to make way for new stores and office
buildings, homes and highways. Encouraging as all this activity might be in
terms of the area's financial health, it can come at considerable expense to
water quality. In the long term, all
the added pavement and rooftops that arise from development creates more storm
water runoff that can cause flooding and water quality problems for surface
waters such as
Just as the
Minnehaha Creek Watershed District works with communities to construct and
manage storm water ponds to minimize the negative effects of increased runoff
from pavement and roofs, the MCWD also has active programs to minimize soil
erosion and sedimentation. Before starting grading or excavation activities,
builders and developers must get permits from the district that spell out
appropriate erosion control measures to prevent soil from washing into surface
waters. And it's not just construction sites that can be a problem; erosion on
residential properties can also be a significant concern. Do your part by
keeping soils vegetated or mulched, especially on boulevards and areas adjacent
to surface waters. Remember, bare, unprotected soil is susceptible to erosion
and should be avoided. Good water quality is everyone's right, and everyone's
responsibility.
Volunteer Watercraft
Inspectors Reporting on Aquatic Invasives in
According to the
Wisconsin Association of Lakes (WAL), volunteer watercraft inspectors inspected
over 9,000 boats and contacted almost 20,000 people in the process, during 2005
at
- 6% of all inspected
boats had vegetation attached when they approached the
landing.
- 23% of all inspected
boats had vegetation attached as the boat pulled away from the landing.
- 16% of boaters were
not informed of
- 75% of boaters
understand the role they play in moving aquatic plants and animals from one
water body to another.
WAL reports the 23% of
boats pulling away from landings with vegetation attached amounts to over
143,000 boats that could potentially transport and infest another water body
with Eurasian watermilfoil, zebra mussels, or other invasive
species!
Third Edition:
September 2005
This recent Minnesota Pollution
Control Agency (MPCA) Report serves as the technical basis for
As a part of the
Clean Water Action Plan of 1997, nutrients were identified as a significant
national problem and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was requested to
develop a National Nutrient Strategy. One aspect of this strategy recommended
that states develop ecoregion-based criteria for total phosphorus, total
nitrogen, chlorophyll-a and Secchi transparency.
This edition
builds on the previous LWQA reports and provides a detailed description of
MPCA’s approach for setting lake nutrient criteria. The draft criteria were developed based
upon multiple sources of information, including: reference lake data, statewide lake
data, historic reconstruction of lake water quality from fossil algae in lake
sediments, lake user perceptions, fishery and macrophyte requirements and other
factors. Draft criteria are
presented and examples of how the criteria may be used to further lake
management are included in this edition. These criteria will be included in the
next revision of the State’s water quality standards that is currently
underway. The Report is available
online at: http://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/lakequality.html#reports. If you have any
questions or need a copy of the report, please contact Steven Heiskary,
Environmental Analysis and Outcomes Division, by phone at 651-296-7217 or
800-657-3864 or by e-mail at steven.heiskary@pca.state.mn.us.
Cass Septic System
"Performance Audit" Fund
The Cass County Budget Committee
recommended to the
Criteria for receiving septic system
compliance inspections funding ($5000
grant maximum per lake per year) will include: the
completion of a Healthy Lakes Management Plan, a 50 percent non-County match,
and lake association administration of inspection contracts. This
will make significant progress toward completing the most critical compliance
inspections, save individual landowners $150-200 on individual compliance
inspections, provide certificates of compliance good for three years and help
protect water quality. To learn more
about the Fund, contact
Today many lake
associations struggle with the challenge of failing septic systems. Perhaps the greatest challenge, according
to Frank Klappa, Sauk River Chain of Lakes (SRCL) president, is educating
homeowners about their septic systems. The SRCL attempted to address this issue
through developing a grant opportunity for property owners updating or building
new septic systems. The SRCL set
aside $10,000 in their general budget in order to grant 20 lakeshore owners $500
upon installing a new or updated septic system. The SRCL also brought in a septic system
expert to provide an educational presentation on the lifespan of a septic
system, signs of failing systems, and the innumerable ecological benefits of
properly operating systems. As the
SRCL board continues to address this challenging issue they are striving to
educate lakeshore owners and plan to continue focusing on this goal. Keep up the
great work SRCL!
Please let us
know about your lake association’s latest achievements and updates! Email: lakes@mnlakes.org
Discounted Individual
MLA Memberships for Your
A number of lake associations have
inquired about sending the informative MLA Reporter quarterly newsletter to
their members. We’d like to see as
many people as possible read the Reporter, too. To make that happen,
members of lake associations that are dues paying associations of the MLA are
now eligible to receive a discounted individual MLA membership that includes the
Reporter, monthly email
Websites for
To enhance communications among your
association members, MLA offers its member lake associations the opportunity to
develop their own website. Two options are available: Option One is a
simple template for site development that MLA hosts for free. Option Two is an upgrade to the
first option that has enhanced composition and editing features with easier
photo and document management. The cost is $100 per year. With both options your lake association
will have its own domain name, e.g. www. mnlakes.org/(your lake name), and lake-specific email addresses
are available for $24/year. To see some examples, go to www.mnlakes.org and click on Memberships/Lake
Associations/Current. For Option One, click on Big Sandy,
To learn more
about membership or website opportunities, contact Keri in the MLA office,
800-515-5253 or keri@mnlakes.org.
Secure Donations to
Your
MLA is a
licensed Charitable Gambling organization. The two sites that we currently
manage provide MLA with approximately $15,000 to $20,000 in net revenue each
year towards our programs that in turn provide valuable resources to your lake
associations. If your lake
association helps MLA find additional charitable gambling sites, MLA will manage
the sites and make consistent donations to your lake association to help support
your lake protection projects. There are probably restaurants, bars, VFWs,
Legions, and other clubs in your area that benefit from the patronage of your
members and others that the lake experience draws to your community. You know
the local opportunities better than we do and local establishments are more
likely to support a local charity, such as your lake association. By working
together, we can all meet our lake protection goals. To learn more about
this opportunity, please contact MLA’s Charitable Gambling Manager Dave Bachman,
218-245-1356 or davidj55709@yahoo.com.
PUBLICATIONS/REPORTS/RESOURCES
Minnesota 2005
Legislative Scorecard
The Minnesota
League of Conservation Voters has released its 2005 Legislative Scorecard.
In it you will find each legislator's 2005 score on conservation votes as well
as thoughtful analyses of the scored votes and a concise session
overview. Go to www.mnlcv.org to
download a copy (look for the scorecard link in the upper right hand corner) or
call 651-298-1977, to have a copy sent to you.
Better Living on Our
Lakes and Rivers
These nine short videos, developed
by the
How to Win Land
Development Issues: A Citizens Guide to Preserving & Enhancing Quality of
Life in Developing Areas
The types of land development activity addressed in this book include highways, shopping centers, housing projects, golf courses, marinas, superstores, landfills, mining, and a host of other activities which may harm the environment or neighborhood quality of life. Suggestions are also provided for going beyond a specific development site and winning the adoption of Smart Growth principles throughout a town, city or county. Download the book at: http://www.ceds.org/pdfdocs/HTW.pdf
National Extension
Water Outreach Education—Facilitating
Access to Resources and Best Education Practices
(BEP)
The Water
Outreach Education is a collaborative effort of the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
(CSREES) and other public and private clean and safe water partners. The informative website is a pilot
project designed to help you find tools and resources for water management and
outreach professionals. Engage your learners with education techniques and
approaches that have been tested and found successful! Whether planning a new
outreach effort or revitalizing an existing one, incorporating best education
practices (BEPs) into your water management strategies is critical for achieving
your goals. Check it out at: http://wateroutreach.uwex.edu/
From Shore to Shore
Newsletter
The
November-December 2005 issue of the From Shore to Shore newsletter is now posted
on the website for you to view and/or download. To access it, please go to: www.shorelandmanagement.org/shore_shore/index.html.
Urban Watershed
Forestry Manual
The USDA Forest
Service and the Center for Watershed Protection collaborated to develop the
"Urban Watershed Forestry Manual."
It consists of Chapter 1-Introduction to Urban Watershed Forestry;
Chapter 2-Planning Methods for Increasing Forest Cover in a watershed; Chapter
3-Techniques for maintaining and increasing forest cover in a watershed, and
Chapter 4-Planting Guidelines for Priority Reforestation Sites. The manual is on the Center for Watershed
Protection website: http://www.cwp.org/
CONFERENCES/WORKSHOPS/MEETINGS
Alternative and
Cluster Septic Systems – Here and Now
November
17,
There is a trend occurring in
“2006 Pollution
Prevention Evaluation Report” Review and Comment Session
December 2,
This is an
opportunity for interested individuals, organizations, and other parties to
learn about progress made in the state towards achieving the objectives of the
Minnesota Toxic Pollution Prevention Act, related policy recommendations, along
with resulting economic benefits. A
draft version of this report, which is submitted to the state legislature every
two years, will be available on the web as of November 16 at www.moea.state.mn.us/p2/p2evaluation2006.cfm. If you are unable to attend the meeting, written comments
about the report can also be submitted from this web page. Directions and
parking information are at www.moea.state.mn.us/about/directions.cfm. If you plan to attend,
please reply to fran.kurk@moea.state.mn.us or call 800 657-3843.
Warm Water Streams
Workshop
December 8,
This all-day workshop
aims to further understanding of warm water streams in
Hold the Date—2006
Lakes and Rivers Conference
Mark your calendars
now! September 7—9, 2006
The 2006 Lakes and
Rivers Conference will be held at the
FUNDING
RESOURCES
Bring Back the
Natives: A Public-Private Partnership for Restoring Populations of Native
Aquatic Species
The Bring Back
the Natives initiative (BBN) funds on-the-ground efforts to restore native
aquatic species to their historic range. Projects should involve partnerships
between communities, agencies, private landowners, and organizations that seek
to rehabilitate streamside and watershed habitats. Projects should focus on
habitat needs of species such as fish, invertebrates, and amphibians that
originally inhabited the waterways across the country. Preference will be given
to support projects that will keep sensitive or declining species off of the
Endangered Species List, or for listed species that have a chance for recovery
and de-listing within five to ten years. Pre-proposals should be
submitted electronically through the online application form available on the
NFWF
website by December 2, 2005. For more information or questions about the application process,
please contact: Corey Grace, NFWF Southwest Office, 28 Second Street, 6th Floor,
San Francisco, CA 94105, Phone: 415-778-0999, corey.grace@nfwf.org
Small Grants Program
for Wetlands Conservation
The U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service and the North American Wetlands Conservation Council
(NAWCA) are accepting proposals for acquisition, enhancement, and restoration of
wetlands and wetlands-associated uplands habitat, with a focus on nongame and
other migratory birds. NAWCA and matching funds may only be used for wetlands
acquisition, creation, enhancement, and/or restoration; they may not be used for
signage, displays or other educational materials, programs, or equipment, even
though the goal of the project may ultimately be to support wetland conservation
education curricula. Proposals are due
December 2, 2005. Click
Here to learn more.
BoatU.S. Foundation
Clean Water Grants
The BoatU.S. Foundation, established
by the Boat Owners Association of the
NOVEMBER
PHENOLOGY
Yesterday much of the state
witnessed the season’s first snowfall or at least something in that ballpark.
Although the excited forecast didn’t seem to materialize into the winter
wonderland originally predicted, most of us experienced some form of snowflakes
sprinkling down from a cloud-filled sky. November traditionally marks much of
the state’s transition into the snowy months and often brings the equally
transitional wet and slushy snowflakes, formed into crystals under balmy and
humid atmospheric conditions. The conglomeration of ice crystals which make up a
slushy snowflake is comparatively large, having grown relatively quickly, with
its size ultimately determined by the temperature and to a lesser extent, the
air humidity at which the flake forms. In the average
Receiving the
We hope you have found the
The mission of the