President's Letter, January 2008

Welcome to the Elk-Skegemog Lakes Association (ESLA)! The Elk River Watershed covers 320,000 acres and contains 54 lakes, 220 streams and tributaries, as well as 110 miles of connecting waterways. As you may know, we are an all-volunteer organization with over 600 members, now in our 58th year. ESLA supports a variety of projects which protect our waters and lands, promote safety, serve the local communities, and educate our members and the citizens in our area.

During 2007, we have worked to educate our members and the public regarding new legislative proposals (including road end legislation), local ordinances, and State funding for services and projects that could affect our waters and lands. We have provided financial scholarships and environmental mentoring for local high school students and teachers and supported environmental education in the local public schools. ESLA has provided financial assistance for local township projects and sponsored meetings with public officials (most recently with State Representative Kevin Elsenheimer). At our annual meeting in August, the featured speaker was Dr. Kelly Smith, Chief of the Michigan Fisheries Division. Working with the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, we are in the final stages of the Elk-Skegemog shoreline inventory project. In September, we sponsored a presentation at the Elk Rapids upper harbor by the Grand Travers Bay Waterkeeper, John Nelson. These are just a sampling of the many activities and projects that your membership is ESLA would continue to support. More information is available on this website.

ESLA members receive several newsletters each year and notices for specific events. As an organization, we work through committees and zones to manage specific situations. To view a map of ESLA zones, click here. Current ESLA Officers, Zone Captains and Zone Directors can be seen here. The effectiveness of our organization depends largely on including a high proportion of riparian property owners, although membership is open to all persons. Membership dues are very low compared to other organizations. If you are not a current member, please become a member of ESLA. If you are a current member, thank you for your continued support.

Dean W. Ginther
President, Elk-Skegemog Lakes Association