In the world of Leelanau County fundraising, going from zero to nearly $8 million in less than three years just may set a land speed record.
Or in the case of the Friends of Lake Leelanau Foundation’s turbo start, at least a water speed record.
Speed was necessary because the organization formed after learning that Eurasian watermilfoil, (EWM) an evasive species that propagates with intensity, had a head start. The Foundation set out explaining the scope of the problem — milfoil, if left to itself, can carpet the surface of a lake, curtailing boat navigation — and then enlisting the financial support of riparian owners, nearby residents and recreational users alike.
“It’s been an amazing blessing,” said Jennie Keller, Foundation president. “A stunning show of what this community can do when we come together. It took a lot of hard work, but it showed the strength of Leelanau and what the lake means to everybody.”
Advancements in the milfoil fight have been encouraging. Starting with an open mind toward combative measures that did not include the use of herbicides, the Lake Leelanau Lake Association set out in 2019 to eliminate milfoil from the lake. The task became bigger than expected as more infestations were found, mostly around the Narrows and in parts of the south basin.
The invasive plant, which typically grows in depths of three to 10 feet, can reestablish from small particles that break off from larger plants. Luckily, no milfoil had matured to the point of flowering, so there is no seed bank at the bottom of Lake Leelanau to reintroduce milfoil years down the road. At first divers hand-plucked plants from the bottom and jettisoned them to a barge through a suction tube, but even that process left behind stubborn particles to restart the growing process.
Along the way the LLLA team kept refining a process to spread burlap mats over the lake bottom, which smothered milfoil. After unwanted plants died and the burlap deteriorated, seeds of native plants were given a chance to take over. Now the burlap method is used for small or even single plants.
Jennie and Darren Keller, who reside on north Lake Leelanau, footed the bill to pay for EWM control for its first three years. That gave the Foundation time to establish — which it has done nicely. According to the latest audit of Foundation finances, assets grew from $5,978,908 at the end of 2022 to $7,672,355 as of Dec. 31, 2023.
“Our goal is to be transparent,” said Keller, pointing to release of the audit through a link on the Foundation’s website.
The end game is to have investment revenue derived from the Foundation endowment pay for EWM eradication in the future, as well as other lake-benefitting projects.
EWM efforts through the LLLA are now costing about $300,000 annually. But that’s a small amount considering that lakes with particularly thick outbreaks of EWM spend up to $1 million annually on chemical treatments.
Also holding seats on the Friends board are Jim Grogan, vice president, and Tom Hiatt, who serves as liaison with the lake association. Hiatt is a LLLA past president. The Friends board receives no compensation and the organization has no paid staff.
While fundraising will continue this year, the Foundation is close to meeting its upper goal of raising $5 million to $8 million. The plan is to pivot in January 2025 from generating income to investing in programs that benefit Lake Leelanau.
The first priority will be to continue EWM elimination efforts, Keller continued, likely through the LLLA. Funds will be allocated through a grant program open to all organizations and individuals.
“The lake association intends to be our first applicant,” Keller said. “Our intention right now is to continue to support the lake association’s work to mitigate Eurasian milfoil. That is our biggest threat. The lake association has the best method to tackle it, but we can look at any group that submits a grant application.”
