PRESIDENT'S GREETINGS

Maine COLA's enjoying an exciting and challenging year!
Even more lies ahead!!

Our diverse Board's proving energetic and imaginative; our Executive Director Maggie Shannon's been building Maine COLA into an effective statewide voice on behalf of Maine’s Lakes and Lake Associations.

I'm looking forward to meeting you all at our annual MAINE LAKES CONFERENCE, Saturday, June 20, at Saint Joseph's College on the shores of Lake Sebago. The conference features hands on lake management, capacity building for lake associations, and scientific best watershed practices.

I'm promoting Best Management Practices for lake watersheds as systems in their entirety, including tributary streams and interrelated groundwater. We've formed partnerships with Land Trusts on permanent protection of critical watershed landscapes.

• We've been building partnerships for lakes with sister organizations.

• We've worked with Maine Camp Roads Association and testified in support of legislation to alleviate erosion from camp roads.

• We've testified before the Legislature and Board of Environmental Protection to extending highest Class AA to the entire Crooked River, principal source to Lake Sebago, as a system, in concert with Portland Water District, Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Maine Rivers, Maine Natural Resources Council, Land Trusts and salmon/fisheries organizations.

• We've researched and urged the Legislature to extend the Public Trust Doctrine to groundwater, recognizing the interconnectedness of all waters into our lakes.

• Together with Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program and partners at the annual Milfoil Summit, we're seeking a long range comprehensive work program to seek expanded funding for milfoil prevention and control.

• To enhance efficiency and effectiveness for lake protection, we're developing a partnership with the Maine Lakes Conservancy Institute. Toward that end, we’ve established a shared office in Belgrade Lakes Village.

Above all, we face the challenge to increase our Lake Association and individual membership, business, foundation and other funding sources! Your support and contributions are critical and appreciated!!

Looking forward,

Bart Hague