Thompson Chain of Lakes Stewardship Coalition
Working Together to Protect Our Lakes

December 2024 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

It’s been quite a year for the Thompson Chain of Lakes Stewardship Coalition!

Since this time last year, we have made significant progress together. The outlook for our group is bright. Below are our achievements and the opportunities that lie ahead:

Our 2nd Annual Meeting was held on August 3rd at the Fisher River Firehall. We had a great turnout and engaged in fruitful discussions, resulting in several action items that volunteers are currently working on.

We established a Resiliency Hub in collaboration with five local partner organizations and have successfully secured two grants as a result. For more details, please visit our website.

Our membership in Anthropocene Alliance has yielded good results. We secured $100,000 from the CDC Foundation, thanks to the Margaret Cargill Philanthropy. This funding covered the lovely brochure you received a few weeks back, as well as the two-year treatment program for Douglas-fir beetles.

Through a grant from Monitoring Montana Waters, we were able to complete the first Nitrate and Phosphate testing on Horseshoe, Lavon and Crystal in over 30 years. We will get the interpreted results next month.

Volunteers receive essential equipment and training to monitor lakes for invasive species, as well as to track temperature and clarity, thanks to a nonmonetary grant from the Whitefish Lake Institute. So far, volunteers have been active at Horseshoe and

Crystal Lakes. If you're interested in volunteering, we would love to hear from you!

We sent 2 people to the Western Montana Lake Conference through scholarships from Whitefish Lake Institute. Networking with other like-minded groups in Western Montana is essential to our fledgling group’s continued success.

Through a grant from North American Lake Management Society, we sampled 3 lakes - Crystal, Horseshoe and Lavon - to assess perchlorate occurrence following the usage of fireworks.

Volunteers receive essential equipment and training to monitor lakes for invasive species, as well as to track temperature and clarity, thanks to a nonmonetary grant from the Whitefish Lake Institute. So far, volunteers have been active at Horseshoe and Crystal Lakes. If you're interested in volunteering, we would love to hear from you!

Our nonprofit recently joined the Montana Loon Society and have agreed to coordinate with them on training, sightings, reporting, protection and more.

Our group's photos, mission, and achievements were highlighted three times last summer on the Montana Watershed Coordination Council's Facebook page and in their summer blog.

We met with Lincoln County officials to continue to foster productive relationships with them and most recently, to discuss the unlicensed campgrounds operating in the area.

We combined many mailing lists to create one big one of all residents in the Thompson Chain of Lakes. No easy task! But there’s always room for improvement - if you know of any property owner who did not receive our brochure, please let us know.

We recently had a new logo designed for our nonprofit, you may have noticed it in our brochure. Feel free to check it out on our website as well.

A few months back, Board Members Brad Helding and Karen Wickersham visited New Orleans to connect with 15 other nonprofits that were awarded the CDC Foundation grant. Karen and Brad gave a presentation on the work and mission of the TCLSC. This gathering with leaders from various nonprofit organizations nationwide was a key part of the grant requirements, and it turned out to be both inspiring and enlightening.

We ended last year thousands of dollars in debt to pay our legal bill. And recently - we were able to pay it off - completely. That was a big relief. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who generously contributed over the past two years.

Looking ahead:

We are in discussions for a septic system maintenance and cost share replacement grant - stay tuned!

We were recently invited to submit a third grant application through Anthropocene Alliance due to our role in establishing The Resiliency Hub. If we succeed with this application, it will allow us to sample for nitrates and phosphates in all 18 lakes in the Chain of Lakes. We expect to find out if we are successful sometime in February.

We are still awaiting the verdict regarding our lawsuit, which was argued in District Court over a year ago against the Lincoln County Commissioners for their approval of the Happy’s RV Park, despite its non-compliance with the 2010 Neighborhood Plan and lack of an adequate EA. Should the County prevail, we intend to file an appeal. Conversely, if we succeed, they may choose to appeal, necessitating our defense of the case. We have made some progress in securing the funds required for this process, and we are grateful for your ongoing contributions, as they are vital to our group's success.

The deadline for residential tree treatment is set for the end of next month, with no applications accepted after January 30th. To date, approximately 40 applications have been received. It is important to note that priority for the two-year treatment, valued at $500 annually, will be granted to those who have contributed to our organization. Eligibility for application is not restricted to lakefront property; any property within the Chain of Lakes area, encompassing 5 acres or less, qualifies. If you have not yet applied or donated, there is still an opportunity to do so by visiting our website.

We are on an exciting journey of growth. Two years ago, we began with just 12 people, and now our community has expanded to over 100 members and is still increasing.

Our brochure reached out to 350 property owners and other interested parties. Following the distribution, we noticed a significant increase in website traffic, and numerous bark beetle applications were submitted soon after. It's great to see more people recognizing and positively responding to our efforts!

We are pleased to tell you that we are fully compliant with all financial and reporting obligations across all our grants and donations.

We are looking into new ways to communicate. If you have suggestions or topics you'd like our group to focus on, we invite you to join the conversation! Feel free to call, email, or come to our annual meeting this summer. We value your input and are always eager for volunteers to get involved.

As we wrap up the year, we’re proud of all our accomplishments. And you each should be, too. Together, we comprise a powerful movement to protect and conserve the land and water of our beloved Chain of Lakes.

Thompson Chain of Lakes Board of Directors