Citizen Committee Receives DNR Grant to Develop Shoreland Stewardship Packets
Citizens for the Protection of Inland Waters (CPIW), a volunteer committee formed in August 2010, has as one of its primary goals, working to encourage everyone in Bayfield County to actively engage in the care and stewardship, as well as enjoyment, of our county’s outstanding water resources. During the past six months, committee members have worked collaboratively with the staff of the Bayfield County Planning & Zoning and the Land & Water Conservation Departments to identify educational resources that would be beneficial to property owners desiring to protect their shoreland.
In cooperation with Tim Kane, Bayfield County UW-Extension Community Development Educator, CPIW received DNR Lake Management Grant funding to produce and distribute a lake stewardship packet, “Caring for Your Shoreland”, to new shoreland property owners as well as those who purchased their waterfront property during the past 3-5 years. Lynn Divine and Scott Galetka of the Bayfield County Land Records Department have been helping to identify the appropriate shoreland owners.
The long-term health of our northland economy is inextricably tied to the health of our lakes and their watershed environments. Shorelands are being developed at an ever-increasing pace. As lakeshore owners, we often make changes to the natural features of the shoreland and near-shore areas to accommodate landscaping and recreational preferences, without fully understanding the environmental consequences of these alterations. These development patterns and landscape choices can negatively affect the very things that attract us to lakeshore living – clean water for swimming and boating, tranquility and the sounds of nature, abundant and diverse wildlife, fishing, and natural scenic beauty.
While all of the citizens in the county have important roles to play in protecting our natural resources, shoreland owners have unique opportunities to make a positive impact on the water quality, wildlife habitat, and natural beauty of our lakes. The resources CPIW selected for the packet offer suggestions for actions owners can take to manage their property in a manner that will preserve the quality of their lake and shoreline, protect the lake ecosystem, ensure that future generations will also be able to enjoy these valuable natural resources, and ultimately enhance the economic value of their investment.
The packets contain a Planning & Zoning Department booklet, A Property Owner’s Guide for Protecting and Managing Shorelands in Bayfield County, which summarizes and explains county shoreland regulations. Shoreland property owners requiring additional ordinance information can contact the Bayfield County Planning & Zoning Department for assistance.
In cooperation with Tim Kane, Bayfield County UW-Extension Community Development Educator, CPIW received DNR Lake Management Grant funding to produce and distribute a lake stewardship packet, “Caring for Your Shoreland”, to new shoreland property owners as well as those who purchased their waterfront property during the past 3-5 years. Lynn Divine and Scott Galetka of the Bayfield County Land Records Department have been helping to identify the appropriate shoreland owners.
The long-term health of our northland economy is inextricably tied to the health of our lakes and their watershed environments. Shorelands are being developed at an ever-increasing pace. As lakeshore owners, we often make changes to the natural features of the shoreland and near-shore areas to accommodate landscaping and recreational preferences, without fully understanding the environmental consequences of these alterations. These development patterns and landscape choices can negatively affect the very things that attract us to lakeshore living – clean water for swimming and boating, tranquility and the sounds of nature, abundant and diverse wildlife, fishing, and natural scenic beauty.
While all of the citizens in the county have important roles to play in protecting our natural resources, shoreland owners have unique opportunities to make a positive impact on the water quality, wildlife habitat, and natural beauty of our lakes. The resources CPIW selected for the packet offer suggestions for actions owners can take to manage their property in a manner that will preserve the quality of their lake and shoreline, protect the lake ecosystem, ensure that future generations will also be able to enjoy these valuable natural resources, and ultimately enhance the economic value of their investment.
The packets contain a Planning & Zoning Department booklet, A Property Owner’s Guide for Protecting and Managing Shorelands in Bayfield County, which summarizes and explains county shoreland regulations. Shoreland property owners requiring additional ordinance information can contact the Bayfield County Planning & Zoning Department for assistance.