INNOVATIVE WATERSHED COLLABORATIVE UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED FOR ALL FIVE TOWNSHIPS ON WALLOON LAKE

Michigan, the Great Lakes State, champions its beautiful lakes as part of its identity. For decades, however, many of the 11,000 inland lakes across the state’s Upper and Lower Peninsula have struggled with governance of these lakes, and with the attempt to create unified efforts to protect and preserve them for the future

Walloon Lake, located near Petoskey and Boyne City in Michigan’s Northern Lower Peninsula, is a 4,270-acre freshwater lake with 30.3 miles of shoreline and 26,500 acres of watershed. Like many of Michigan’s lakes, it shares its waters, shores and watershed with multiple government entities, which can make everything from protecting shoreline, enforcing boating safety regulations, creating new septic regulations, preventing pollution, staving off invasive species, and obtaining grants for improvement projects and research extremely difficult. 

Walloon Lake straddles two counties: Emmet and Charlevoix – and five townships: Melrose, Bay, Evangeline, Resort and Bear Creek.

The Walloon Lake Association and Conservancy (WLAC) has spent many years trying to come up with a way to get all the townships and counties to come together to share concerns about the lake and the watershed, and to secure conservation practices and communication for the future.

WLAC researched a potential government entity called a Lake Board, among many other options, including a Lake Association and Township Public Works, but none of them seemed appropriate for what the townships, counties and concerned citizens wanted to achieve. After much discussion with government officials, community organizations and residents, Board member and Government Affairs Committee Chair Mary Ann Smith spearheaded the effort to create a Memorandum of Understanding called “The Walloon Lake Watershed Collaborative” (WLWC).  

It is the first MOU of its kind in the State of Michigan, which joins five townships and two different counties with the Walloon Lake Association and Conservancy to work together in a non-binding agreement to preserve and protect Walloon Lake and its watershed. The MOU will serve as a framework for the parties to communicate, collaborate and work together.  

Among its many purposes, the Collaborative commits to protect and preserve the Walloon Lake Watershed as a vital natural resource, calls for coordination of the investigation, preparation and consideration of policies and programs related to septic system regulation for public health, and pledges information sharing and documentation of relevant issues affecting the Walloon Watershed. It also calls for collaborations on public education and outreach programs.

The Walloon Lake Watershed Collaborative will be composed of six members, including the Township Supervisors from each township as well as a representative from the WLAC. 

After much discussion, all five townships unanimously approved the agreement, which became effective on May 22, 2025.  

WLAC Board Member Holly Angileri has been chosen by the Board to represent the Walloon Lake Association and Conservancy. She will join the five supervisors on the new Walloon Lake Watershed Collaborative.  

President of the Walloon Lake Association and Conservancy Board, Marty Makinen says, “The five townships in Walloon’s watershed and the WLAC took a major step in their longstanding collaboration to protect their common asset by forming this ground-breaking agreement. Working together, they will harmonize efforts on issues such as green space requirements and septic systems to the benefit of all who live, work, and play in the watershed.” 

Chair of WLAC’s Government Affairs Committee, Mary Ann Smith says, “It was a pleasure to partner with each Township Supervisor and their Board of Trustees during the editing and approval process to create the Walloon Lake Watershed Collaborative. It is a true example of when there is a vital natural and economic gem, like Walloon Lake, 5 different governmental entities can come together and form a partnership to protect a greater shared community.”

Welcome Our New Executive Director: Jon Breithaupt

After completing a national search guided by a nonprofit consultancy, the Walloon Lake Association and Conservancy is delighted to welcome Jon Breithaupt as our new Executive Director. Jon will begin his new role at WLAC on June 2.
Born and raised in northern Michigan, Jon Breithaupt is a lifelong steward of important natural landscapes. Working with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service took him to some of our nation’s most iconic and ecologically rich regions, while his Executive Director role with the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy in central Michigan involved protecting critical lands and waterways closer to his roots. Throughout his career, Jon has brought a thoughtful, hands-on approach to natural resource management and we’re thrilled to welcome him as our new Executive Director. Jon’s robust skillsets also includes nonprofit fundraising, administrative, and supervision experiences that made him a very attractive hire for WLAC.  Look for additional background about Jon in our summer edition of the Wallooner and stop by this summer and share your Walloon Lake story with Jon.

ICE STORM UPDATE:

Updated 7/8/25: After many months of hard work from WLAC staff and volunteers, we’re excited to share that 100% of our trails are now clear of down trees after the devastating spring ice storm.

THE WLAC EARNS NATIONAL RECOGNITION

We are proud to announce that the WLAC has achieved national recognition and has been awarded accreditation by the The Land Trust Accreditation Commission. We are joining a network of over 450 accredited land trusts across the nation that have demonstrated their commitment to professional excellence and to maintaining the public’s trust in their work. Our Past President Dave Deal shared:

 “The conservancy made the decision over 5 years ago to seek Land Trust Accreditation for several reasons. First, we felt it was important to adopt the high standards of the Land Trust Accreditation Commission to ensure we were following best practices throughout our organization. Second, we felt there was no more effective way to communicate to our many stakeholders the guiding principles we were going to use as we carry out our mission. The WLAC staff and board are to be commended for all of the hard work and demonstrated excellence it has taken to achieve this milestone.”

After a rigorous verification process by the Land Trust Commission, the WLAC has proven that we have sound finances, practice ethical conduct and responsible governance, and can ensure lasting stewardship. The awarded accreditation ensures we are operating at the highest possible conservation standards and signifies confidence that the WLAC’s lands will be protected, now and forever.

2022 WLAC Board President Michael Hatch reflects on the WLAC’s ability to further protect the Walloon Lake watershed, in perpetuity, while accredited:

“Accreditation demonstrates our commitment to permanent land conservation in the Walloon Lake watershed, and we are a stronger organization for having gone through the rigorous process. This strength means special places, like Walloon Lake, will be protected forever – and forever is a long time!”

We are so grateful for the outpouring of support we have received and are sincerely honored to be part of this prestigious community of accredited land trusts. Thank you!