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01-22-2012
- On Thursday, December 14, 2011,
the Board of the Department of Natural Resources approved the
acquisition of the Van Vliet Hemlocks from the Board of
Commissioners of Public Lands. On January 10, 2012 the Joint
Committee on Finance approved the purchase. Governor
Walker approved the acquisition of Van Vliet Hemlocks by the
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on January 12, 2012. The
parcel will become part of the Northern Highland - American Legion
State Forest and the goal is to add the property to the State
Natural Area program.
- It is
winter on the lake.
11-27-2011
- On
September 28, 2011 two representatives from the DNR joined several Van
Vliet Lake Association board members on a boat tour of the lake.
The purpose of the visit was to provide a first hand look at our aquatic
plant situation and to open a dialog on ways to implement our pending
APMP.
Click
here to read the notes from that visit.
-
On November 14, 2011 the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands
approved the sale of 432.5 acres of Trust Lands in Vilas County (Van
Vliet Hemlocks) to the WI Department of Natural Resources. The next
step is for the DNR Board to act on the staff recommendation to
purchase the parcel. A board meeting is scheduled on December 14,
2011 in Madison for the DNR to consider the acquisition. The
meeting is open to the public and members of the board of the
Friends of Van Vliet Hemlocks are planning to attend. Tom Olson
will give a short presentation in favor of the acquisition.
The Van Vliet Lake Association
has
supported the permanent preservation of the land parcel known as the
Van Vliet Hemlocks for many years. The board of the VVLA has
sent a letter to the DNR in support of this acquistion.
- Ed Brodsky sent in photos of two of our lake
neighbors.
- Our second winter dinner is scheduled for
January 14, 2012. Another Italian meal will be hosted by
Sharon and Paul Specht and we are looking forward to another evening
of good food and getting better acquainted with our lake neighbors.
Use the Contact Us form to RSVP.
We need contributions of appetizers, salad, bread, dessert, or make
a suggestion of something to enhance an Italian dinner.
10-31-2011
- Late fall also provides a show of
color.
10-4-2011
- Total
CBCW hours for
the past summer are posted. We had eight hours of coverage on
the Saturday of Labor Day weekend and seven hours of coverage during
the Fall Muskie Tournament. Thanks to the volunteers who
helped spread the word this summer about the practices that help
keep invasive species out of our lake.
- The Friends of Van Vliet Hemlocks are
sponsoring a hike
on October 22 starting at 10 a.m. from the east entry.
- Fall
colors around the lake are spectacular this year.
09-16-2011
-
Minutes from the
August 23 board meeting are now posted.
08-28-2011
- A beautiful, late summer morning added to the
enjoyment of our
hike in the hemlocks.
- The new
map of the lake is
posted on the kiosk.
- The
native
plants at the landing provide some color.
- Jill Wilm sent in some more
nature photos for us to enjoy.
07-24-2011
- Two more Saturdays with volunteers at the
landing have added to our
CBCW hours.
07-19-2011
-
Minutes from the
June 18 annual meeting are now posted.
07-12-2011
- The boat landing was staffed from 8 to 4 on
Saturday, July 2 and from 12 to 2 on July 4. Thank you to
those who have volunteered for our
CBCW efforts.
07-07-2011
- Thank you to all who attended our annual
meeting. Our summer plans include Clean Boats, Clean Waters
efforts, continuing to monitor the status of the Aquatic Plant
Management Plan submitted to the DNR, purchasing a sign for the boat
landing kiosk with a map of the lake delineating the 200 ft no wake
zone, sponsoring a hike in the hemlocks on August 27 led by John
Bates, and an end of summer potluck supper also to be held on August
27. If you would like to attend the hike and/or the picnic,
please use the Contact Us screen
to sign up.
- This has been a good year for
summer flowers.
The lake's population of
turtles
came out in force to enjoy a sunny day.
06-03-2011
- Jill Wilm provided some more nature photos.
The orioles
enjoy the orange at her feeder. Two spring
sights to enjoy.
05-30-2011
- It was a busy Memorial Day weekend.
On Friday, there was activity at the landing
putting in
plants and combining that effort with a
CBCW
training session. Our CBCW
hours to date
are posted. We encourage new volunteers to sign up for a shift at
the landing this summer.
On Saturday, the
ribbon cutting at the hemlocks was an acknowledgement of the many
volunteer hours that helped create the new trail system. A
welcome
sign and a
history
sign now greet hikers on the east side. The Friends group will
continue with the mission to preserve this parcel and members of the
board
are interested in ideas and feedback.
05-15-2011
- Board meeting
minutes from May
are posted.
05-12-2011
- The Van Vliet Lake Aquatic Plants Management
Plan has been submitted to the DNR and is in the approval process.
The
draft version of plan is available here.
- The Friends of Van Vliet Hemlocks announces
the ribbon cutting for the newly mapped trail system on Saturday,
May 28 at 10 a.m. at the East Van Vliet Road trailhead.
Click here
for more information on the Friends group.
- Although some snow piles persisted in early
May, it appears that
spring has arrived.
04-04-2011
- Our
letter about the annual meeting on June 18 has been sent along
with a
membership form for 2011.
- You may see some activity at the landing this
spring and summer. The DNR has given us approval to put in
some native plants in the area near the new kiosk. Nancy Frank
is in charge of this project and is looking for volunteers to help
throughout the summer. Use the
Contact Us form on the website to let us know you would like to
help. The invasive knapweed at the landing will be sprayed
this summer as well by a DNR approved applicator.
- Have you ever seen a
weasel with its
winter white fur coat?
- Enjoy a sneak preview of the new
trail map for the Hemlocks. Work continues on developing
the trail system and putting in signs at the trailhead. A new
group, Friends of the Van Vliet Hemlocks, is being organized and we
will keep you posted on developments with that initiative.
01-30-2011
- Now is the time to think about serving on the
Lake Association Board of Directors. Officers to be elected at
our June 18 annual meeting are Vice President, Treasurer, and two At
Large Positions. Jill Wilm, Paul Specht, and Tom Olson are
willing to serve another term. Steve Smithson will not be
running for reelection to his at large position. Our bylaws
allow for absentee ballots so we need to know by mid April who the
slate of candidates will be. All current members of the
association are eligible to serve on the board. Please
consider volunteering to join the board in our efforts to preserve
and protect the lake.
- A cold weekend provided some
winter images of the
lake.
12-13-2010
- A
flying
squirrel looks out from a nest box on the lake.
- Please RSVP by January 5 if you are able to
attend our winter Italian night on January 22.
11-16-2010
- Our lake community has lost a long time
member. Matt Pachi passed away on November 3. Our
condolences go out to his family and friends.
11-10-2010
- Does your dock conform to the Wisconsin
qualifications to be exempt ? If it is
larger than the rules specify but was in place before 2004, it may
qualify to be grandfathered. The registration form for docks
to be grandfathered must be submitted by April 1, 2011. For
instructions on how to register your pier, please visit
www.dnr.wi.gov keyword: piers.
If your pier was placed after 2004, it must fit the exempt rules
bearing in mind that Van Vliet Lake is located in an Area of Special
Natural Resources Interest (and therefore no loading platform
greater than six feet in width is allowed),
- A winter social event will be held on
January 22, 2011. This will be an Italian night dinner
with the main course already spoken for and contributions needed for
appetizers, salad, bread, and dessert.
RSVP if you would like to join us
for the evening; the location will depend on the number interested
in attending.
- A beautiful November day provided the setting
for a memorable kayak tour of the lake.
10-27-2010
- Fall
colors have come and gone but they were spectacular this year.
- Board meeting
minutes from
October are posted. Mark your calendars: next year's annual
meeting will be held on June 18, 2011 at the community center.
- Have you checked out our section on the
Van Vliet
Hemlocks recently? Work is underway to create an accurate
map of the trail system with the goal of installing trail markers by
next spring. A preliminary
map
of the existing roads is now available. We are also collecting
data from individuals and groups who spend time on the property in
order to document the ways the public is using this land.
Please fill out the
Activity Report
whenever you spend time in the hemlocks. The
hike on
October 23 was well attended and a pleasant morning in the woods was
enjoyed by the group.
9-21-2010
-
For many years, the Van
Vliet Lake Association has supported efforts to permanently preserve
the land referred to as the Van Vliet Hemlocks. It is hoped that
one day this parcel will become a state natural area and the old
growth hemlocks will remain for future generations to appreciate.
The VVLA is pleased to
sponsor a hike on October 23 starting at 9 a.m. from the parking
area on East Van Vliet Road. Naturalist John Bates will lead the
group and help us explore and learn more about this special
property.
Help
us plan by using the contact us
screen if you can join us.
9-8-2010
- Board meeting
minutes for
August are posted. Projects for the coming year include
working with the DNR to eliminate the invasive knapweed at the
landing and to put in more native plants. We are investigating
the cost of a sign for the kiosk that would be a map of the lake
which delineates the 200' no wake zone.
-
CBCW hours
have been updated; we hope to log more hours this fall.
8-22-2010
- The board met on August 21 to discuss plans
for the coming year. Minutes are now posted for the
June board
meeting and the
annual meeting. We continue to wait for a draft of an
aquatic plant management plan for our lake.
7-30-10
- Social event scheduled - there will be a pot
luck picnic at Ronie and Mike's (7236 W Van Vliet Rd) on Sunday,
September 5 starting at 5 p.m. Bring a dish to share, a lawn
chair, and enjoy a visit with lake neighbors. RSVP via the contact us
screen.
7-17-10
- Thank you to all who attended the annual
meeting.
- The boat landing was staffed on July 3 from
8-12 and 11 boats were interviewed. We would love to add your
name to the 2010
efforts. Please consider volunteering on July 24 or August 14
to help keep Van Vliet Lake free of aquatic invasive species.
Send an email from the contact us
screen to let us know you are willing to help.
6-24-10
-
April board
meeting minutes are posted. The board met again on June 12 to
complete planning for the annual meeting.
- Thank you, Jill Wilm, for providing the loon
photos for our summer
images page.
6-21-10
- Please plan to join us at the
annual meeting on Monday,
July 5 at 10 a.m. at the Presque Isle Community Center.
- Members of the VVLA board staffed the boat
landing during the Presque Isle Chamber of Commerce Walleye
Tournament on May 14-16. CBCW inspections were conducted along
with registering competitors. Although only one fish was
measured at the Van Vliet landing, it was the largest fish caught in
the tournament.
- We have targeted June 26, July 3, July 24,
and August 14 for CBCW inspections at the landing. Please
consider signing up for a two hour shift. New volunteers will
be paired with an experienced person to learn the process. Use
the contact form on this website to let us know you can help.
4-18-10
- The lake association board met on April 17.
Minutes from the 2009
annual meeting were presented and are now on the
website. Planning is underway for the annual meeting and the
coming summer. Membership renewal letters have been sent out
and a mailing about Clean Boats, Clean Waters plans will soon
follow. The board has committed to help at the landing for the
Presque Isle Spring Walleye tournament on May 14-16.
3-08-10
- The annual meeting for the association has
been set for Monday, July 5 at the Presque Isle Community Center.
More details will follow. Now is the time to submit your name
if you are interested in serving on the board. Positions open
this year are President, Secretary, and two at large positions.
8-26-09
7-08-2009
- Thank you to those who attended the annual
meeting. DNR Conservation Warden Rich Thole and Presque Isle
Constable Howard Meyer both presented valuable information on their
respective roles to the group. Jeff Burke presented
information he learned at the Declining Lake Levels conference.
Ronie Jacobsen and Jill Wilm gave an update on the Clean Boats,
Clean Waters efforts.
- Good news - we have added new names to owners
on the septic maintenance system and we now have 64% of the
developed properties on the lake on the system.
Septic Information
- The Clean Boats, Clean Waters monitoring has
started. We are looking for volunteers on July 18, August 1,
August 22, and September 5. New volunteers will work with a
trainer; shifts are 8-10, 10-12, 12-2, and 2-4. Please email
us if you can help on one of those dates. Thank you to those
who signed up to help at the meeting.
CBCW
- There was a request at the meeting that the
Presque Isle town ordinances regarding watercraft usage be available
on the website. The link to the town is
www.piwi.us and the relevant
ordinances are in chapter 500.
5-30-2009
5-13-2009
4-27-2009
4-25-2009
4-8-2009
- The calendar says spring is here although the
lake remains frozen and snow is still part of the landscape in the
northwoods. The annual meeting of the association has been
scheduled for Friday, July 3 at the Presque Isle Community Center
starting at 10:00 a.m. Anyone interested in serving
on the board is encouraged to submit their name for nomination. It is also time to renew
your membership in the association.
9-9-2008
7-9-2008
6-11-2008
4-30-2008
4-29-2008
- Plan to start off your 4th of July weekend by
attending our annual meeting on Thursday, July 3 at 10 a.m. at the
Presque Isle Community Center. Carolyn Scholl, Vilas County
Lake Conservation Specialist, will be our guest speaker. Learn
about the ongoing efforts of the board in regard to aquatic plant
issues. A pot luck lunch will follow the business meeting.
3-23-2008
- Do you have an interest in serving on the
board of the lake association? Offices up for election at the
2008 annual meeting are President, Secretary, and two At-Large
Directors. The current board will be nominating one or more
members for each position.
3-23-2008
1-22-2008
- Please respond to our survey by Feb 15.
We are hoping to have results to present to the DNR in mid February.
12-31-2007
- Although Van Vliet Lake did not receive grant
money for the development of an aquatic plant management plan, the
board of the lake association is interested in member's opinions on
the aquatic plant situation in our lake.
08-17-2007
- A new sign is in place at the boat landing.
Click here to view the sign. Thanks to all
who work to keep the landing litter free and nicely landscaped.
05-20-2007
- In accordance with the resolution passed at the 2006 annual
meeting, the board has written a letter about the low water level of
the lake which has been sent to various government agencies and
officials. Click here to read the
letter.
05-01-2007
- The Last Wilderness Conservation Association
has created a Watershed Committee to provide community education and
oversight on matters that affect all the water bodies in the Presque
Isle township. Jeff Burke has agreed to represent Van Vliet
Lake Association on this committee.
Click here to read the letter from the
association.
08-12-2006
- DNR studies indicate that the smallmouth bass
population in our lake would be enhanced by decreasing the daily bag
limit and increasing the minimum length of a keeper fish. The Van
Vliet Lake Association has joined with the Presque Isle Lake
Association in supporting such a change for the Presque Isle chain.
It is unlikely that any changes would be enacted before 2008.
06-17-2006
- Please read the following note from Jeff Burke:
"A recent inquiry from a
lakefront property owner noted the exceptionally low water levels this
year. As a full year resident I would like to bring all website visitors
"up to speed" as it were on the subject. A complaint from one or more
Presque Isle Lake residents last year with respect to their perception of a
"high" lake level may have triggered the removal of several beaver dams in
the Presque Isle River late last fall or in early winter of 2006. The DNR's
Steve Gilbert denies DNR involvement as does the Town of Presque Isle
government. If some other government agency was involved I have not yet
been able to establish who they may be but I'm continuing to research the
subject. The other possibility remains of a private citizen taking the task
of dam removal on themselves. The legality of this action needs some
research. Certainly the results need to be addressed. Clearly the impact
to the majority of lakeshore owners was not taken into consideration. I
have no solution for the problem caused by an errant eco-terrorist. Despite
the fact that lack of substantial moisture is an easy explanation for the
problem, no amount of water input is going to correct this issue unless the
beavers reestablish their domain or the dam level controls in Marenisco are
altered to hold more water back. The bucket has a bigger hole in it this
year than last."
Jeff Burke
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