SEVENTEEN LAKES REPRESENTED AT MEETING

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

FORM COUNTY LAKES ASSOCIATION

A group of individuals from five different area lakes met Saturday, August 22 and decided to form the Forest County Association of Lakes, Inc. (FCAL).

This will be the fifth county-wide lakes organization in Wisconsin.  The county-wide group will allow lake organizations to have a forum to share with each other and learn from each other.  They will also serve as a forum for organizing education on lake issues.

Those present will become the initial board of directors.  Next summer, a full board will be elected, with no more than one director from each lake.

There will be three classes of membership in the FCAL: individual membership and associate business membership.  Individuals will have one vote and lake organizations will have five votes.  Associate business memberships will not be allowed to vote.

Those present joined as individuals, and will have to go back to their associations to request the group membership.

Those present were: Russ Tiedemann and Dick Jahnke of Roberts Lake:  Mary and Arden Bierman of Butternut/ Franklin Lakes: Jack Kloss of Lake Lucerne: Bernie Erdman and Jim Stormer of Arbutus Lake: and Cliff Haskins of Silver Lake.

Source – The Forest Republican, Crandon, WI
August 27, 1992