Newsletter: Issue 44
Message from the Board
Officers
Tony Vavoulis graciously accepted the nomination to be the next President of the BMLA. His term will commence in late summer, 2022. Welcome to the new task, Tony! After almost 13 years as President, Mike Blehert decided it was time to step aside and let some new blood help run the organization. Mike will continue as the lead person on all AIS treatment efforts.
Our Purpose
Following are comments which were used in a grant application for 2022:
1. To kill EWM so that it doesn’t return in the same year or the next season(s) in the same location. If that happens, the native plants can be wiped out. We can’t kill it all, but we can use techniques, some very time consuming, that protect the native plants while significantly reducing EWM.
-EWM Rootball injection.
-Precise GPS based maps of all large areas, and almost every single EWM plant in the lake.
-Spring and fall treatments by PLM.
-Spot treating of small spots by the BMLA. In 2013, the DNR gave written permission to the BMLA to spot treat EWM with our own specialized equipment.
2. Prevent and/or discover early infestations of other AIS through volunteer time, funding Scuba searches and extra boat launch inspections.
3. Educate our board and members through seminars and other educational opportunities and share our experience with other Lake Associations. Members of the BMLA have made brief presentations at Washington County meetings, the CMSCWD, have led breakout groups and made presentations at MAISRC seminars, and worked closely with the DNR and PLM to test new EWM treatment protocols.
Finances
With anticipated individual donations included, finances appear to be in good shape to cover 2022 expenses. Significant funding has come or will come from the Vet’s Camp ($3000), Scandia Marine Lions ($2000), the DNR ($3000), Washington County ($5000), and the CMSC Watershed District (a $7500 matching grant for launch site AIS inspections, plus an additional $5000 for direct AIS work.)
Eurasian Water Milfoil (EWM)
The current estimate for area to be treated in summer, 2022 is in the worst case scenario 20 acres at $1000/acre. Best case is 10 acres at $800/acre. In 2021, the cost was $600/acre (27 acres) in the spring and $700/acre (9.5 acres) in the fall. Price varied due to herbicide mix applied.
Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Advocates
Membership is a huge issue for this organization. Despite recent successes in their efforts with regard to numerous issues critical to waterfront property owners, MLRA has really struggled to increase individual members. With more members, they would have greater impact. MLRA would greatly appreciate any help they can get from lake and river associations.
MLR is leveraging membership contributions to benefit the BMLA, for example. They lobbied to create the MAISRC (Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center), then lobbied to fund the capital investment to upgrade the lab, and in 2021 lobbied successfully for $910k annually to provide baseline funding to cover the day-to-day operations of the MAISRC. Ditto with aquatic plant management efforts - MLRA lobbied successfully for the $4.5 million in AIS Innovations Grants that the Initiative Foundation managed. BMLA received about $48000 in grants from the IF and made good use of those funds. In the last legislative session MLRA successfully lobbied for $850k in AIS management grants. BMLA benefited from use of some of those funds. All these actions by MLR should cause more people to see that a membership in MLR is an investment with a good return on investment.
To donate to MLRA go to the BMLA website: bigmarinelakeassociation.org/Donate and click on the MLRA link or Google “Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Advocates on the internet.”
A MLRA Webinar meeting on Feb. 16 presented significant steps forward in MLRA’s effort to protect water quality in Minnesota's lakes and rivers. MLRA has always based its work on four legs; science to inform public policy decisions, media outreach and education to inform public of issues and solutions, public policy formation, and civic organizing of committed lake advocates.
A presentation by Jeff Marr and Andrew Riesgraf of the U of Minnesota St. Anthony Falls Lab of their research into the wake height and wake energy was excellent science (Boat Generated Wake Study: Overview of research, findings, and next steps), and informed of best practices that boaters can use to prevent ecological damage to lakes, and serve as the basis for public policy that lake home and cabin owners can rally around.
This work was the result of a broad partnership. In 2022 MLR will work with our partners to advance legislation to create a watercraft operator's training and certification program. This study will be key in developing education so that boaters can avoid damage to lake ecology as they recreate. Other units focused on Best Practices for Clean, Drain and Dry for various watercraft will ensure all boaters know how to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species.
The hope is that by ensuring all boaters are well informed we can see significant behavior change out on our lakes. It is a critical first step.
Other information on actions of MLRA is:
On Feb. 24, the Minnesota House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee heard HF 3617 which would provide $450,000 in grants to support lake association Aquatic Invasive Plant management programs.
Many people believe that the MN DNR pays for management of our lakes and rivers, but the costs largely fall on adjacent communities and local civic organizations like lake associations.
In the early 2000's a portion of the revenue generated from the $5 AIS surcharge on a three year boat license funded grants for lake associations to manage AIS plants in our public waters. For many years the grant stood at $850k. But, in 2015, the MN DNR zeroed out the AIS Management Grants and the entire burden of AIS plant management in lakes and rivers fell to lake associations.
In 2019 MLR successfully lobbied to increase the AIS Surcharge on 3-year boat registrations, and the MN DNR began to offer $450k in AIS management grants to lake associations. HF 3617 will make and additional $450,000 available to support lake associations in their work to improve Minnesota's public waters.
MLRA is an extension of the efforts of the BMLA and the BMLA is an extension of the efforts of MLRA.
Events
BMLA Annual Meeting
Time: 7 p.m.
Date: Wednesday April 20, 2022
Scandia Community Center Main Hall
Jeff Forester of MLRA will be speaking at this BMLA Annual Meeting.
BMLA All-lake Gathering
Time: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Date: June 10, 2022
Place: Vet’s Camp Pavilion
For updates on Events check out the BMLA website at the heading Resources/Events.
Membership
Your membership in the BMLA is important. As has been stated many times before, costs of AIS prevention and control efforts always exceed the amount of funding grants we can obtain from governmental agencies and other sources. Thanks to everyone who has donated for 2022. For those who have not ---
Please send your BMLA donations to –
BMLA
12636 - 182nd St. N.
Marine, MN 55047.
Minimum suggested donation is $50.00.
Or donate via the BMLA website at:
bigmarinelakeassociation.org
Special thanks to Marcia Benshoof and Bruce Holdhusen who reported problems with making donations using Paypal on the website. With their help we corrected some issues with online payment.
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Mission Statement
The purpose of the Big Marine Lake Association is to educate, inform, and unite BML lakeshore property owners, those with neighborhood private lake access rights, and other concerned parties in an effort to monitor, identify, control, and (if possible) eradicate problematic aquatic invasive species in the waters of the lake.
BMLA WEBSITE
Website: bigmarinelakeassociation.org
The website is a source for past newsletters, BMLA Board Meeting minutes, notes on AIS-related conferences, AIS descriptions, AIS news articles, and more.
Note that the names and phone numbers of all BMLA Board members are listed on the website under the heading About/BMLA Board.
E-mail: contactus@bigmarinelakeassociation.org