If you spot any Merganser Ducks and/or their broods on Higgins Lake, or any nesting sights, click on the first link below to access the Swimmer’s Itch Solutions LLC website page to report your sighting.  Swimmer’s Itch Solutions LLC is the name of Dr. Curt Blankespoor’s new company that is contracted by the Higgins Lake Swimmer’s Itch Organization (HLSIO), and supported by the HLPOA, for 2017 to help reduce Swimmer’s Itch on our lake.  Dr. Curt Blankespoor was formerly associated with SICON which had done the Swimmer’s Itch Control in 2015 and 2016.  With the formation of Swimmer’s Itch Solutions LLC, SICON has been dissolved.

• http://swimmersitchsolutions.com/higginslake/

Additionally, should you or someone you know contract a case of Swimmer’s Itch this summer on Higgins Lake, the link below will direct you to another area of Dr. Blankespoor’s Swimmer’s Itch Solutions LLC website where you can report your case of Swimmer’s Itch.

• http://swimmersitchsolutions.com/higginslakereportacase/

Thank you for taking the time to make these reports — they will help Dr. Blankespoor/Swimmer’s Itch Solutions LLC to further reduce the infection rate of snails with the Swimmer’s Itch parasite and therefore the incidents of Swimmer’s Itch on Higgins Lake.

Gerrish Twp, in a special meeting on April 13, 2017, voted unanimously to approve a motion raised by Trustee Jim Lippert to request Steve Sendek of Northpoint Fisheries Mgmt seal all duck nest boxes they erected that have not yet been taken down.  Those on private property will require permission of the property owner to do so.  This action, commendable by the Gerrish Twp. Board, is in response to the recently amended USFWS and MIDNR permits issued to Gerrish Twp for their Swimmers Itch Control Plan as administered by Northpoint Fisheries Mgmt that specifically prohibits the use of nest boxes to attract and destroy nesting Merganser hens, their eggs or chicks using those nest boxes.  The Gerrish Twp meeting minutes with the motion is attached below:

• Gerrish Spl Mtg-April 13, 2017 Duck Boxes

US Fish & Wildlife Service and the MI DNR Amend Gerrish Township SI Permits to Disallow the Use of Nest Boxes for the Depredation of Merganser Hens, Chicks and/or Eggs.

It has been confirmed today, March 27, 2017, that an amendment has been received this week addressed to Gerrish Township from the US Fish & Wildlife Service.  The amendment reads as follows:

” K.  Amended 3/20/2017 : Amended to clarify that nest/egg destruction is for natural nests only and not for artificial nest boxes.  The intent of this permit was not to allow placement of nest boxes to attract more common mergansers to Higgins Lake.”

In addition, the MI DNR has also amended the permit issued to Gerrish Township to disallow the use of nest boxes.  Efforts are currently underway this week by Gerrish Township to remove the two dozen or so artificial nest boxes they had erected in 2015.  In other words, these nest boxes should be removed prior to the return of nesting common mergansers hens to our lake this spring.  This is an action that the HLPOA, HLLC and HLEEC supported and publicly proposed at a March 14, 2017 meeting of the Gerrish Township Board.  The amended permits are posted below:

• USFWS Amended Permit_Gerrish Twp_Amendment K
• MI DNR Amended Permit_Gerrish Twp

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, HLLC, HLEEC Letter to Gerrish Twp Board

• December, 2016 Newsletter w/Environmental Bulletins #1, #2 & #3

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.

• SICON’s Final Report for 2016

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.

• SICON Higgins Lake 2016 Update July 7