Success breeds success. We’ve received approval for a third grant to start planning a Long-range Lake Management Plan. This is a direct result of our accomplishments over the past six years. This proposed plan follows on the heels of our Watershed Survey and Demonstration Project; it will continue to address Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Projects. We’ll be looking for ways to protect our lake with the help of the entire watershed community and the Town of Poland via Best Management Practices (BMP’s).

We’ll start implementing this project next April and it will last until December, 2003. We’ll need many people to serve on steering committees and sub-committees. Some of the objectives will be to develop local support, prepare a survey for watershed property owners and the municipality, public meetings to introduce the project, prepare a work plan for the whole watershed, continue to educate landowners of the importance of utilizing BMP’s, and to continue implementing these practices over a long period of time.

The preliminary budget (grant) will be under $20,000; it includes a $2500 cash match and approximately $13,000 in matching in- kind services by TLIA. Most of this will be accomplished through meetings and committee work.

We’re perhaps the smallest lake to receive this type of grant…it’s still a relatively new idea and is still in the working stages. But we have examples to draw upon; both Thompson and Damariscotta Lakes are just finishing theirs.

The importance of this Plan should not be underestimated; we’ve done so much and want to continue to do more. We don’t want to forget, to lose the momentum which we’ve begun.

Androscoggin Soil and Water Conservation District will be our sponsor as it has been for past projects. Scott Williams’ office, Land and Water Resource Management Associates, will continue to help however it can.

It’s our lake. It belongs to everyone and it’s important that input is from a wider circle of people. Please help us out. Again, it’s not hard. It’s just being committed to protecting and preserving this precious resource. Call or e-mail me or someone on the Board and say you’ll help. We’ll call you when the meetings begin. Names, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses are on the last page of this Newsletter. Thanks.

[To Top]