Curlyleaf
Pondweed (CLP) &
Answers to Important Questions
and
Issues
Q1. How
much money is the
Answer:
$75,000 for the 3 years of required
treatment 2009 through 2011. This
represents
the estimated $90,000 cost of the treatments, less $15,000 we will
utilize from
existing CLA funds. The $90,000 figure
comes from treating an estimated total 90 acres of CLP on all 3 lakes
at a
quoted $309 per acre, plus an estimated $6500 for loosestrife control.
Q2. Why can’t
we just do these treatments ourselves with CLA volunteers and save $?
Answer: The State of
Q3. Where will
the CLA get the necessary funds?
Answer: The
funds will be obtained primarily via
voluntary pledges for 3 years of support from all lake property owners.
CLA will also research and apply
for grants which could cover a
portion of the cost. There are no
guarantees CLA will get such grants given increasing competition for
limited
grant funds. $15,000 will come
from the existing Special Projects fund which has
been built up through generous donations over the years from members.
Q4. When will
owners be asked to contribute?
Answer: We will have
pledge cards available at the
2008 annual
meeting. There will be mailings in
November 2008 and again in February 2009.
Information will also be posted on the CLA website.
There will be continuing follow up for the 3
year period depending upon when we reach our fund drive goal.
Q5. Are
contributions to this fund drive tax deductible?
Answer: Yes.
The
Cullen Lakes Association is a tax exempt non-profit organization, code
501.(c) (3). Your donation is fully
deductible on both Federal
and State tax forms.
Q6. Can I pay
with a credit card?
Answer: No,
the CLA is not equipped to accept
credit cards and to do so would entail considerable expense. The preferred method is personal check or
money order.
Q7. Can I
spread my donation over several years---or must I pay all at one time?
Answer: You
may choose to pay 100% of your pledge at one time this year, or you can
elect
to pay 1/3 each year. You can select the
option best for you on the pledge card.
Q8. Will the
CLA accept a pledge of securities that I would like to donate in lieu
of cash?
Answer:
Yes, the CLA will accept bona fide securities.
Simply email our Treasurer,
at webmaster@cullenlakes.org , to discuss details and make the
appropriate
arrangements for
transfer of the securities. Consult with
your tax attorney/advisor as to possible tax benefits.
Q9. How do I
make out the check and where do I send it?
Answer:
Make your check payable to The
Cullen Lakes Association and send it to:
The
Q10. Have the
CLA Board members pledged donations to this fund drive?
Answer: Yes.
The CLA Board is fully committed to this project and
individually have already pledged donations
in excess of $10,000 when
this document went to print.
Q11. How large
a donation do you expect from each owner?
Answer: We
have approximately 300 owners on the 3
Q12. What if
CLA does not reach its goal and has insufficient funds for the
necessary
treatments?
Answer: We
think it’s highly likely we will
reach our goal given the 3 year time frame for the treatments. We
believe
However, in the
unlikely
event we fall short of the funds needed, there are some options:
Option
1: We
can choose to
not treat all of the CLP.
Option 2: We
can petition
the County and the DNR to establish a Lake Improvement District.
There are serious
issues and
complications with both these alternate approaches that the Board feels
should
be pursued only as a last resort.
Q13. Why
shouldn’t the MN DNR be paying for these treatments?
Answer: The
DNR simply does not have the funds/resources or state mandate-- and our
state
legislature has not seen fit to make this a
statewide
problem and establish a broader taxpayer base.
Although we may get some grant monies from the DNR, it would be
minimal. The County and State position is
that eliminating invasive species is the lake shore
property owner’s problem.
Q14. What about
all those other people who use the lake—but are not owners. Shouldn’t they be contributing to this drive?
Answer: A very good
question! See the response to Q13 above. Our government entities still espouse a
voluntary approach to solving these problems and lay them totally at
the
doorstep of lake shore property owners as they feel the owners have the
most to
benefit. A number of lake associations
and other environmental groups in the state have begun lobbying state
legislators and the Governor for legislation to create a larger tax
base to fund
solutions to these problems. With the
current economic difficulties and state budget shortfalls, it is highly
unlikely anything will happen in the near future---for certain not
within the 3
year period of treatments we need on the
Q15. I’m in the
process of selling my property. Why are
you asking me to donate?
Answer: We
ask you to give something back to help
preserve the lake for future generations for these reasons:
- You
have lived on the lake for a number of years and enjoyed its many joys
and benefits—whether watching the wildlife, the scenic views, fishing,
boating, or swimming.
- The
Cullen Lakes Association has worked hard for over 25 years to help
maintain water and shoreline quality. Being
able to point out that you have an owners association that has and is
aggressively working to preserve the quality of the lakes is a positive
selling point.
- Your
property value is likely higher now than it would be had it not been
for these efforts.
Q16. There is
no Curlyleaf Pondweed in front of my
property. Shouldn’t just those who have it
foot the
cost!
Answer: CLP
is present in all the lakes and is randomly situated.
If not treated with urgency, it will continue
to spread until all lakeshore owners are directly affected. It is only by chance that some are affected
now and not others. Most owners use more
of the lake than just that directly in front of their property.
Treating all the affected areas is the most cost
effective and asking all owners to
pay for the cost is the most fair method---in the same manner as all of
us
paying for police and fire protection though only a few of us may ever
utilize
the services.
Q17. How will
we pay for treatments beyond this initial 3 year period?
Answer:
It’s likely that after 3 years, CLP will have been diminished to
a maintenance
level costing significantly less to treat.
After the first 2 years of treatment, and knowing the success
level of
this fund raising campaign, we will have
a better grasp of the ongoing costs and will develop a plan for
additional on
going fund raising.
Q18. What if
the CLA raises considerably more than it’s goal of $75,000? What will CLA do with those monies?
Answer: If
the drive exceeds our expectations by a relatively small amount, we
will most
likely utilize the $ for expected ongoing CLP control.
If there is a very significant over
subscription, we would likely refund a portion of the donations in
proportion
to what was given by individual owner. We
would not simply use those excess
funds for administration of CLA as they have been earmarked solely for
treatment of CLP and loosestrife.
Q19. I don’t
think the problem has become bad enough for this kind of expense at
this time. Why
not just wait a few years until the economy recovers?
Answer: We
understand that the economic downturn has placed financial pressure on
many
people—and our owners. The DNR,
treatment firms, and other lake associations have uniformly told us to
treat
this problem with urgency---deal with
it now! Waiting will allow the CLP to
spread further, become more established, and make it even more
expensive to
bring it under control. It’s a case of “pay me now—or pay me much more
later”. Our Board is unanimous in its
decision
and commitment to nip this problem in the bud!
Q20. What if
the CLA doesn’t go ahead with these treatments?
Will I get my donation back?
Answer:
There is virtually no chance that the CLA Board will not go
ahead with
these treatments. It has signed a 5
year agreement with Professional Lake Management for 3 years of full
treatment
and 2 additional years of maintenance treatments. It
is very clear we need to address this
problem now---and the Board has made that commitment!
Thank You for your support of this critical program to
preserve
our lakes!
UPDATED September 27, 2008
