2018 Review

2018 Year in review

Representation on the Leech Lake 1W1P Advisory Committee

2018 Aquatic Invaders Summit III - Feb 28, March 1, 2018, Earle Brown Heritage Center (ACCL representation)

Move and update ACCL contact information to new format

Maintain resort contact information

Monthly Board meetings

Maintained working relationships with AIS Program Coordinators from Vermilion Lake Association (St Louis County) and Itasca County through the Multi-Region Resort Ambassador Project.

Jeff Forester Initiative Foundation Civic Governance pilot projects to develop Civic Infrastructure around local efforts to prevent the spread of AIS (as an AIS best management practice):

Cass County Weevil project on Townline Lake

Ramsey County New Infestation Response Plan (NIRP)

Continued the facilitation of the RMBEL water testing program

ACCL news and notes to members; updated ACCLAKES.ORG website. ACCL notice of meetings published in area news publications. Lakeland TV at Ag - Water Concerns meeting.

Affiliated with and/or a member of the following organizations:

Hackensack Senior Center (The Hub) - hosts our five monthly membership meetings

Leech Lake Area Watershed Foundation (LLAWF)

Minnesota AIS Research Center (MAISRC)

Minnesota Coalition of Lake Associations (MNCola)

Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Advocates (MLR)

Pine River Watershed Alliance (PRWA)

Friends of the Headwater (FOB)

Kept abreast of MN COLA activity; Vice President Lynn Goodrich is serving as the MN COLA representative to ACCL

Lake Management Plans/NIRPS: led the process, provided assistance and resources for the plans

Templates, copies of existing lake association plans

Identification and monitoring/AIS ID Guide available for sale

Contacts: other lake associations, DNR, providers

Discussion on funding options

ACCL represented at Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Research and Management Showcase.

Met with Cass County Administration on ACCL/Cass County projects

Participated in DNR Learning Session on September 5, “Working with resorts on AIS prevention”

2018 MEMBERSHIP MEETING PROGRAMS

May 25 Jeff Forester, Executive Director, MN Lakes and Rivers Advocates (MLR), informed on issues that affect lake properties and how MLR is using membership dollars and a legislative update. And, also a discussion on a civic organizing project to help lake associations build greater civic infrastructure around water.

How to manage an AIS invasion to your lake chain (introduction to the topic),

Vic Rinke, ACCL Board

Cass County AIS Update: Rima Smith-Keprios, Cass County AIS Program Coordinator

Financial and Membership Report, Bob Iversen

Important announcements, updates, and sharing of ideas on lake association (best practices):

June 29 Vic Rinke, ACCL Board, led lake association members on preparing and implementing a New Infestation Response Plan (NIRP)

Conservation Officer Hannah Mishler and Storm demonstration on the detection of invasive zebra mussels and information on the DNR K9 Program

July 27 Jim Etzel and Mike Tauber, on how much agricultural business has encroached into lake country. And, what are the issues concerning groundwater withdrawal and contamination, deforestation and impaired stream flows have taken a hard look at the current situation and will share their perspective.

Time at the end of the meeting to work on New Infestation Response Plans (NIRP).

August 31 Training in Identification of Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) by Nicole Kovar, DNR. Learned how to identify plant invasives, lookalikes of natives vs. non natives, hands-on-touch, smell, and feel. Shared tips and tactics on sampling protocols and monitoring techniques.

Funding options for lake associations and invasive species

Rich Hess, ACCL Board and Steve Johnson, Townline Lake

Updates:

Resort Ambassador Program, Linda Blake

Weevil program for fighting eurasian milfoil, Steve Johnson, Townline Lake

Response to the Pineland Sands Area EAW, Mike Tauber

Other

Check-in on Lake Management Plans

September 28 THE ACCL ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING

Invasive Aquatic Plant Management: Local aquatic plant surveyors and commercial pesticide companies (treatment) briefly discussed their products and services. Each had a resource table; there was an opportunity to visit the tables at the end of the meeting and to also work on lake management plans.

Provides AIS treatment:

Rob Olson, Clarke Co.

David Hillstrom, PLM Lake and Land Management Corp.

Provides surveys and AIS treatment:

Daniel McEwen, Limnopro Aquatic Science, Inc.

Provides surveys and monitoring:

Phillip Oswald, RMB Environmental Laboratories, Inc.