Follow us on:
➱Date: Dec 10, 2019
MN COLA Membership Meeting
Time: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Location: Initiative Foundation (405 First St. S.E., Little Falls, MN 56345)
Special Topics:
•"Collaborative Planning for Lake Protection: the One Watershed, One Plan Process": Julie Westerlund, One Watershed, One Plan Coordinator, Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR).
•"Impact of Chloride Salt on Minnesota Lakes and Rivers": Phil Votruba, Watershed Project Manager, North Watershed Section, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
•"Enhanced Wakes: An Update on Activity of Concerned Citizens in Minnesota": Chuck Becker, Mn COLA member.
•"Pipelines and Sulfide Mining in Minnesota: Latest Developments": Tom Nelson, Secretary.
•"Round Robin on Water Quality Challenges and Solutions": Quarterly Update from MN COLA Members.
➱Date: Sept 17, 2019
MN COLA Membership Meeting
Time: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Location: Thumper Pond Resort (300 Thumper Lodge Rd, Ottertail, MN 56571)
Special Topics:
•"Decisions and ideas from our recently elected Board of Directors.": Joe Shneider, President and Jim Kutzner, Director.
•"The history and current status of the Line 3 pipeline.": Rita Chamblin, Citizen Activist.
•"A spotlight on the programs and activities of our meeting host.": Ottertail County COLA
•"Addressing the impacts from large wakes: grassroots work underway." : Chuck Becker
•"Feedback from the DNR hosted sessions on Angling, AIS, and Access." : Kevin Farnum, discussion leader
•"Round Robin on Water Quality Challenges and Solutions: The Quarterly Update from MN COLA Members."
MN COLA thanks its host for this meeting:
SPECIAL MN COLA ANNUAL MEETING held in conjunction with Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Advocates.
➱Date: June 17-18, 2019
Location: Northern Lights Casino (6800 Y Frontage Road NW Walker, Minnesota 56484)
Cost: $30 for all events and meals
Required Advance Registration
NOTE: Limited seating available; reservations are taken on a first come first serve basis. COLAs and LARAs, and other large mutual-lake associations who are paid up on MN COLA dues will be able to get up to 2 reserved seats. Eligible members determine which of their delegates take the reserved seats.
Lodging: Room reservations are made separately with the hotel at the Northern Lights Casino (844-554-2646) at a reduced rate of $79 plus tax. Mention that you are attending the MN COLA/MLR Annual Meeting.
Wednesday, May 15
• Cutoff for reserved block of seats for MN COLA members in good standing.
Monday, June 17
• 4:00 pm: Cash Bar and Music
• 4:45 pm: Welcome
• 5:00 pm: Legislative Update and Walleye Dinner
• 6:00 pm: Senator Carrie Rudd (R) Dist. 10, Chair, Env. and Natural Resources Policy Committee
• 6:15 pm: Rep. John Persell (DFL) Dist. 5A, Chair, Env. and Natural Resources Policy Committee
• 6:30 pm: Paul Huttner, MPR Meteorologist; "Changing Weather Patterns and the Impacts on our Lakes and Rivers"
Tuesday, June 18
• 8:00 am: Continental Breakfast
• 8:00-11:30 am: Showcase; Presentations of projects lake folks are doing across Minnesota
• 9:30-10:00 am: MLR Annual Business Meeting; MLR members only
• 10:00-11:00 am: MN COLA Business Meeting; MN COLA members only
• 11:30-12:00 am: Resort Ambassador Program; Collaboration, Cass, Itasca & Lake Vermilion Associations
• 12:00 noon: Buffet Lunch and Plenary; DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen
• 1:00-2:00 pm: Association of Cass County Lakes (ACCL); Showcase Presentation
• 2:00-4:00 pm: Field Trips
MN COLA thanks its host for this meeting:
➱Date: March 19, 2019
Time: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
ATTENTION: Location changed from Great River Regional Library in St Cloud to Buffalo, MN.
Location: Wright County Government Center. 10 2nd Street NW, Buffalo, MN.
Special Topics:
•MN COLA Attendance at Wright County Board meeting to hear discussion of the 2019 Regional AIS Inspection Program (The Wright County pilot program is embarking on its 2nd full year of operation and challenges still need to be overcome including expansion of the program to more lakes and other program elements).
• "Rolling out our 2019 Grassroots Action Agenda": Joe Schneider, President, MN COLA.
• "Updates on the Enbridge oil pipeline": Lynn Goodrich, Vice-President, MN COLA.
• "Updates on the copper nickel mining efforts": Tom Nelson, Secretary, MN COLA.
• "Wake boat impacts and what can be done": Chuck Herrig, Gull Chain of Lakes Association.
•Round Robin on Water Quality Challenges and Solutions: The Quarterly Update from MN COLA Members.
• "An update on the 2019 Legislative Session": Jeff Forester, MN Lakes and Rivers Advocates .
➱Date: January 8, 2019 - A morning conference call that updated our Grassroots Action Agenda. The Agenda contains topics that are important to MN COLA, and provides you with a basis to talk to your local elected officials.
Time: 10:00 am - 11:30 pm
Telephone call: call-in phone number and Access Code sent out to members via email.
➱Date: December 11, 2018
Location: Wright County Government Center. 10 2nd Street NW, Buffalo, MN. (Originally scheduled for Initiative Foundation offices in Little Falls, MN)
Time: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Special Topics:
•MN COLA Attendance at Wright County Board meeting to hear plans for the Regional AIS Inspection Pilot program for 2019.
• Post-County Board meeting discussion of Regional AIS Inspection pilot program.
•"Outcome of the state elections as it pertains to protecting our public waters.": Jeff Forester, MN Lakes and Rivers Advocates.
➱Date: Sept. 25, 2018 - Lake Association-Government Interactions Workshop
Goals: The workshop is aimed at building additional community capacity by sharing information on local government responsibilities; by self-assessing your lake association's individual, relational, and organizational capacity; and by providing some practical tips for with working with your local and state agencies.
Cost: the event is free; lunch provided by Douglas County.
Organizer: Paul Radomski, Lake Ecologist, DNR
Sponsor: MN COLA is the proud sponsor of this workshop on building community capacity as related to lake associations and to coalitions of those associations.
Location: Douglas County Public Works Building, 526 Willow Dr, Alexandria, MN
Time: 9:30 – 3:00
Attendees: Lake Association Members and Leaders; Coalition of Lake Association members
Facilitators:
Dr. Amit Pradhananga, Research Associate, University of Minnesota
Dave Rush, Douglas County Land & Resource Management Director
Jeff Forester, Minnesota Lakes & River Advocates
Chris Pence, Board Conservationist, BWSR
Paul Radomski, Lake Ecologist, DNR
Kris Carlson, Decision Support Specialist, DNR
➱Date: September 18, 2018
Host: Bug-Bee Hive Resort with Paul Bugbee
Location: On Lake Koronis, 29659 Queen Bee Ln, Paynesville, MN 56362
Time: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Special Topics:
•"Zonation: A Method for Prioritizing Our Lake Conservation Efforts": Paul Radomski, Lake Ecologist, DNR.
•"Insights on Environmental Priorities from the Association of Minnesota Counties": Jennifer Berquam, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Analyst, Assoc. MN Counties.
•"Pines to Potatoes: What Happens to Surface and Ground Water Quality During Land Use Conversion in Northern Minnesota?": Mike Tauber, citizen petitioner for Environmental Assessment Worksheet in the Pineland Sands Area; Jim Ethel, soil consultant and owner of Earth is Our Home.
•"Local Civic Governance: Examples of Success" : Jeff Forester, MN Lakes and Rivers Advocates.
•"Round Robin on Water Quality Challenges and Solutions: The Quarterly Update from MN COLA Members."
➱Date: June 19, 2018 - Annual meeting
Host: Whitefish Area Property Owners Association (WAPOA)
Location: Ideal Township Community Center, 35458 Butternut Point Road, Pequot Lakes, MN 56472
Time: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Special Topics:
•"A post-session Minnesota legislative update": Jeff Forester, MN Lakes and Rivers Advocates.
•"Insights on the White Bear Lake lawsuit against the DNR for excessive groundwater pumping": Katie Crosby Lehmann, Ciresi Conlin, Founding & Managing Partner.
•"Keep clean water clean for people and nature": Rich Biske, Natural Conservancy, Fresh Water Program Director.
•"You get What you ask for: effective action to make our voices heard on clean water" Matt Gladue, Nature Conservancy, Field Director.
•"MN COLA-developed County AIS metrics": Joe Shneider and Kevin Farnum, MN COLA.
•"An AIS video series for the summer of 2018": Erika Gilsdor, Leighton Broadcasting.
➱Date: March 20, 2018
Host: Lake Marion Improvement Association
Location: Elks Lodge, 720 MN-7, Hutchinson, MN 55350
➱Date: January 16, 2018 - This will be a morning conference call to update our Grassroots Action Agenda
Location: Telephone call; call-in phone number will be sent out to members via email
MN COLA serves to coordinate the efforts of all lake, river, and watershed associations in Minnesota, related to shoreline preservation and restoration, water quality, prevention of aquatic invasive species (AIS), and sustainable uses and development for bodies of water in all counties, which include: Aitkin, Anoka, Becker, Beltrami, Benton, Big Stone, Blue Earth, Brown, Carlton, Carver, Cass, Chippewa, Chisago, Clay, Clearwater, Cook, Cottonwood, Crow Wing, Dakota, Dodge, Douglas, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Grant, Hennepin, Houston, Hubbard, Isanti, Itasca, Jackson, Kanabec, Kandiyohi, Kittson, Koochiching, Lac Qui Parle, Lake, Lake Of The Wood, Le Sueur, Lincoln, Lyon, Mahnomen, Marshall, Martin, McLeod, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Mower, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Norman, Olmsted, Otter Tail, Pennington, Pine, Pipestone, Polk, Pope, Ramsey, Red Lake, Redwood, Renville, Rice, Rock, Roseau, St. Louis, Scott, Sherburne, Sibley, Stearns, Steele, Stevens, Swift, Todd, Traverse, Wabasha, Wadena, Waseca, Washington, Watonwan, Wilkin, Winona, Wright, and Yellow Medicine.
Not a member but wish to be on our email list? Tell us here.
