Thirty people representing seventeen lakes attended an early morning meeting on Saturday, July 11 regarding county-wide lakes issues and the possibility of forming a county-wide lakes association. The meeting began with Mary Bierman, president of the Butternut/Franklin Foundation and a director with the Wisconsin Association of Lakes addressing the group and letting them know that this was one issue where Forest County was ahead of Vilas and Oneida counties. Dick Peterson, the Northcentral representative of Wisconsin Association of Lakes, and of Eagle River, was also present.
The group began by going around the room with the different associations and districts sharing issues of concern for their lake area. There were many common concerns like pollution, stocking of fish, and recreational usages. Forest County hosts the whole gamut of lakes, from small rarely utilized to larger, heavily populated lakes.
The group participated in a nominal group process, led by Bob Korth, Lake Management Specialist with UW- Stevens Point and Sheila Landsverk, Forest County UW- Extension Agent. The nominal group process was used to try to establish common issues and concerns that might better be addressed by a county=wide organization. The group then voted to rank the issues and objectives regarding their perceived importance.
The number one objective voted on by the group was education and sharing between associations and residents at the local county level. The second objective was to implement long range planning regarding the lakes. The third objective was to cooperate on the large scales with state-wide and state governmental organizations.
Cliff Haskins, of Silver Lake Association, made a motion to form a committee to draft a purpose statement with goals and objectives based on the meeting and by-laws that the organizations could take back to their Boards for further consideration and action.
Source – The Forest Republican, Crandon, WI
July 23, 1992