LOFA members, please take a look at this letter from Bob Kary of the Rice Lake Association with an update on the status of their DNR grant, which is in support of their effort to control the Curly Leaf Pondweed infestation that has taken over Rice Lake. The grant is in jeopardy because of a SNAFU over the DNR’s requirement of a public boat landing on the lake. For further clarification of the problem, this letter written by Dick Thiede outlines what has happened, and the current status of the grant.
The gist of all this is that the Rice Lake Association’s DNR grant is dependent on putting a public boat ramp on their lake. They have an existing space for public access, but it was previously not titled to the Town of Mercer, who is supposed to be responsible for public boat landings. Now it is, though, and last February the town board committed to improving the ramp. But the latest is that someone from the DNR has decided that there is no suitable place on Rice Lake for a public boat ramp, and now they want their grant money back from 2021. It was a lot of money. The RLA is currently seeking a waiver from the boat ramp requirement in order to continue with the work, keep the already-spent money from last year, and continue to receive grant support for the next two years. (Continued below)