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Joint HLPOA, HLLC, HLEEC Letter on Swimmer’s Itch Sent to Gerrish Twp Board

Dear HLPOA Members,

Attached, below, is a letter dated Feb 28, 2017, sent to Gerrish Township officials from the Higgins Lake Property Owners Association (HLPOA), Higgins Lake Land Conservancy (HLLC) and Higgins Lake Environmental and Economic Coalition (HLEEC) expressing our strong support for the Higgins Lake Swimmers Itch Organization’s (HLSIO) approach to tackling swimmer’s itch. Unfortunately, four of the five longer serving Gerrish Board members (Clerk Kathleen Patchin, Treasurer Leasa Tulgetske, Trustee Mary Link and Trustee Jim Lippert) did not abide by our recommendation.  The newly elected Supervisor, David Udy, does support the HLSIO approach but was unable to convince any of the other four Board members to do likewise.  Please know that even though the swimmer’s itch problem on Higgins Lake is improving, we will continue our efforts so you and your family can maximize your enjoyment of Higgins Lake.

HLPOA Letter to Teresa Sherwood, DEQ, on West DNR Boat Launch

Dear HLPOA Members,
The letter to Teresa Sherwood of the DEQ, attached below, is a joint effort of the HLPOA Board and the Riparian Committee.  It requests the DEQ re-evaluate their plans for an expansion of the West DNR Launch facility in light of serious environmental and safety concerns, as well as requesting a public meeting with adequate notice.  Similar letters also have been sent by the Higgins Lake West Shore Association, Riparians on the West Shore and Ed Nellist, Supervisor of Lyon Township.
We strongly encourage you to copy the email addresses provided in the letter (repeated below) and paste them into your email service provider to express your own views.  We would ask you to comment about:
– The importance of the DEQ/DNR in helping to protect the health and safety of Higgins Lake,
– Concerns you may have about the continuous expansion of boat load and boat access on Higgins Lake by the DEQ/DNR including approval of a large marina at Amvets and the proposed West Launch expansion,
– Your views about announcing short comment periods for affected Higgins Lake Riparians in the dead of winter, and
– The need for public meetings to allow Riparians to voice concerns and get answers from the DNR/DEQ.
We also encourage you to share your views with your state legislative representatives.  Feel free to share this message with other Riparians who are not HLPOA members so they can weigh in.  Your voice matters.
Thanks for your support.
Brad Gibson
HLPOA President
Teresa Sherwood, DEQ, email: sherwoodt1@michigan.gov
Heidi Grether, DEQ Director, email: GretherH@michigan.gov
Keith Creagh, DNR Director, email: creaghk@michigan.gov

SICON’s Final 2016 Swimmer’s Itch Report Now Posted

November 3, 2016 Update — SICON’s 2016 Final Report:

Dear HLSIO Supporters,

Attached, below, is the SICON Final Report of their activities for 2016.  The work completed in 2016 represents Year 2 of the comprehensive science-based program that focused on actions to significantly reduce swimmer’s itch on Higgins Lake from both measured and reported epidemic levels.  In the summer of 2015, an extensive analysis of over 10,000 swimmer’s itch-carrying snails established a pre-program, summer lake-wide baseline avian schistosome infection level of 3.01%. A similar analysis in 2016 revealed a summer lake-wide snail infection level of 0.28%. In only the second year of SICON, LLC’s comprehensive swimmer’s itch control program on Higgins Lake the snail infection level on Higgins Lake was reduced by 90%.  Please read the attached report for further information on SICON’s activities for 2016.

Michigan Attorney General Report Posted for HLSIO

August 18, 2016 Update

The following was recently sent to those who have contributed to the Higgins Lake Swimmer’s Itch Organization (HLSIO):

Dear 2016 HLSIO Supporters,

We are pleased to send you the attached report (below) prepared by the Office of the Michigan Attorney General covering financial information of the Higgins Lake Swimmer’s Itch Organization for the calendar year ending December 31, 2015.  Please note that the HLSIO only spent 2.01% of its income for supporting services (primarily for printing and postage) which means that 97.99% of all contributions made by our donors last year went directly to our efforts to combat swimmer’s itch.  This is extraordinary.  Most charities spend from 20% to upwards of 50%, thereby reducing the dollars available for their respective programs. The HLSIO is able to operate at minimal support service costs because of the generous volunteers who support this organization without any pay.
  
We thank you for your tax deductible contribution this year as we strive to combat swimmer’s itch at Higgins Lake.
 
Additionally, there are tickets still available for the fundraiser dinner sponsored by Fred’s of Roscommon and hosted by Jim and Laura Witt on Thursday evening, the 25th of August. Tickets are $100 and can be purchased at either Fred’s or Jim’s Collision prior to the dinner.
Again, we thank you for your support this year.  If you haven’t made a contribution for 2016, please send your tax deductible contribution to:
Higgins Lake Swimmer’s Itch Organization
P.O. Drawer 665
Grayling, MI 49738

Swimmer’s Itch Update for July, 2016 Now Posted

Dear HLPOA Members, HLSIO Supporters and other Members of the Higgins Lake Community,

Attached is the second 2016 update from SICON LLC reporting on excellent progress this summer with our science-based, comprehensive Swimmer’s Itch Control Program. We have some great news!  Both our objective lake-wide snail infection rate metric and numerous reports demonstrate a dramatic decrease in Swimmer’s Itch (SI) in Higgins Lake this summer over last year.  In addition, under the leadership of the HLPOA and its talented lobbyist, John Lindley of Public Affairs Associates, and the Michigan Swimmer’s Itch Partnership (MSIP), we were successful in obtaining a $250,000 state grant for SI control and research efforts that will be available to MSIP lakes beginning October 1, 2016.  But the fight is not over, this is a long term effort and we need to stay with our plan if we are going to ultimately win this battle.  We have met or made substantial progress on all of our objectives and more, including:

  1. Retain SICON, the leader in SI knowledge and experience, for an effective, science-based comprehensive program that returns Higgins Lake to its place as a premier water sports lake in Michigan
  2. Support SICON’s work on other lakes to accelerate learning (SICON now is working on 4 lakes)
  3. Build a partnership of Michigan lakes to join with us for the long term (We now have 24 lakes in the Michigan Swimmer’s Itch Partnership)
  4. Build a network of top SI scientists and leverage their expertise (SICON is coordinating with top scientists in the US and Canada)
  5. Get support from the state of Michigan for MSIP control programs and research (Governor Snyder just signed a $250,000 bill)
  6. Partner with a 501(c)(3) organization to obtain and manage the state and additional grants for MSIP (Partnering with Leelanau Center for Education)
  7. Retain an experienced program manager team to further increase the effectiveness of MSIP (MSIP will retain Susan and Brian Price formerly with the Leelanau Conservancy)

After years of frustration, we have made great progress in a very short time.  We need your help to fund our 2016 Higgins Lake program and maintain the progress we have made!  We’ve raised approximately $70,000 toward our goal of $245,000.  We expect to get a share of the $250,000 state grant, but it will be divided among MSIP members.  In addition, the grant is effective at the start of the fiscal year which begins on October 1, 2016.  So the majority of our funding still must come from private donors.  PLEASE SEND YOUR TAX DEDUCTIBLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO:

Higgins Lake Swimmer’s Itch Organization (HLSIO)

PO Drawer 665

Grayling, MI 49738

Thank You,

HLSIO Board:

Bill Carey, Neal Cooley, Ken Dennings, Dale McDonald, Ed Nellist, Bob Schneider & Jim Vondale

P.S.  The HLSIO fundraiser dinner is scheduled for August 25, 2016.  Last year’s dinner was a huge success and we expect another sellout.  An announcement on ticket availability will be made soon.

Marvin Bolton, former HLPOA Treasurer, sues the Higgins Lake Property Owners Association

Marvin Bolton, former HLPOA Treasurer, sues the Higgins Lake Property Owners Association:

A Complaint has been filed against the Higgins Lake Property Owners Association by former HLPOA Treasurer Marvin Bolton, represented by Scott Hess.  The Complaint and the Answer of the HLPOA, represented by William Carey, are posted below.  As additional information becomes available, it will be posted here.