Wishing You a Joyful Season and a Happy New Year!
As the year comes to a close, we wish you a season filled with peace, good health, and time well spent with those who matter most. Thank you for the…
2025 Vilas County Lakes Conservation Partners Meeting
Get the inside scoop on what lake organizations are doing in Vilas County with lake conservation.
Video Coverage: 2025 Six-County Lakes & Rivers Meeting
Did you miss our 2025 Northwoods Six-County Lakes and Rivers Meeting? No problem — view the full event video, speaker presentations plus event photos.
2025 six-county meeting presentations & photos
View photos and presentations from our recent six-county lakes & rivers meeting held on July 11th at Nicolet College.
VCLRA’s Summer 2025 newsletter has taken flight!
Read about our six-county lakes and rivers meeting on Friday, July 11th, an update on enhanced wakesurfing, VCLRA's Northwoods Businesses for Clean Water (NBCW) initiative, celebrating our night skies and more…
VCLRA’s Winter 24-25 newsletter is out!
Read about our revised membership process, a new state-wide coalition on wake boats, climate change, Blue Heron award recipients and more…
North Lakeland Woods and Water Conference
Our registration is now open for the 2nd annual North Lakeland Woods and Water Conference to be held on Friday, April 25, 2025.
Happy Holidays
This holiday season, we are grateful for your steadfast trust, collaboration and support of VCLRA as we celebrate another remarkable year.It has meant so much to have you as an…
Northern Lights dazzle Vilas night skies
My first northern lights sighting happened on September 18 of 2023; they danced so vividly overhead and I was awestruck! After seeing the first image on my camera display I was hooked! You could see all the true colors, and it was so beautiful and amazing ...
Vilas County Lakes Conservation Partners Meeting
Vilas County Land & Water Conservation is holding its annual fall meeting on lake conservation on Thurs Oct 24th from 10 am-12:30 pm to share what local groups and professionals are doing to conserve lakes in Vilas County, and to report on the AIS section of the Vilas County Invasive Species Strategic Management Plan. This will be a virtual meeting. The public is welcomed!
Video and photos from 2024 six-county meeting
Missed our 2024 Northwoods Six-County Lakes and Rivers Meeting in July? No problem — view the video plus event photos online.
Our Summer newsletter is out!
IN THIS ISSUE: News about the the July 12th six-county lakes and rivers conference, impacts on walleye fisheries from climate change, an update on the citizen resolutions to regulate wake boats, more.
Annual Spring Hearing and Public Input Opportunity: Wakesurfing
The Wisconsin Conservation Congress (WCC) and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will once again offer their annual opportunity for the public to provide input on a variety of questions, including wake boat regulation, online starting at noon April 10 to noon on April 13, 2024.
Six-County Lakes Meeting: FINAL UPDATE
“Protecting Our Waters: We’re All Connected” is the theme for the annual Northwoods Six-County Lakes Meeting, set for Friday, July 12, at Nicolet College. The program will include discussion on the connections among water resources and the people who use them, along with presentations on the impacts of climate change.
North Lakeland Woods & Waters Conference Held May 3rd
The North Lakeland Woods & Waters Conference to be held at the North Lakeland Discovery Center in Manitowish Waters, WI on Friday May 3rd, 2024.
Wake Boats and Lakes
Wisconsin’s Green Fire (WGF) released a new report on the effects of wake boats on Wisconsin lakes. WGF’s report “The Effects of Wake Boats on Lake Ecosystem Health: A Literature Review,” compiles findings from over 175 scientific studies in the U.S.
Grade 4-6, Brynn Schillinger 1st place and Rose Redman 2nd place. Photo credit Beth Schillinger
Vilas Youth Conservation Poster & Speaking Competitions
Students from Vilas County schools took part in the Vilas County Youth Conservation Poster & Speaking Competitions, hosted by Vilas County Land & Water. Overall 84 students submitted material, and an awards ceremony was held at the Olson Memorial Library in January.
VCLRA’s 2024 winter newsletter available
Celebrating 30 years of protecting our Vilas waters, Wakesurfing legislation; Vilas short-term rental ordinance; Northern Lakes Toolbox; How trees benefit lakes; Blue Heron Award and more!
Happy Holidays from VCLRA
We've worked tirelessly this year on a number of issues impacting our lakes; achieved a substantial increase in outreach to our lake families and organizations through our web and print communications; saw a record level of
SOAR Wisconsin River Cleanup
A dozen students and teachers from the SOAR Charter High School participated in a river cleanup along a stretch of the Wisconsin River in Eagle River. Wildwood Outdoor Adventures graciously provided about a dozen canoes and kayaks, paddles and life vests for the event.
Fishing on Conover Lakes – a WDNR Fisheries Program
The Conover Lakes Committee is sponsoring a DNR Fisheries program: "Fishing on Conover Lakes" on July 12, 2023, 5:30 pm at the Conover Recreation Center. Please join us -- it's free!
2023 VCLRA Summer Newsletter
News about the the July 14th six-county lakes and rivers conference featuring a panel on law-enforcement challenges affecting the health and enjoyment of our lakes; update on wake boat resolutions and more!
2023 6-county lakes & rivers workshop
REVISED: This year's 6-county lakes & rivers meeting will take place on July 14th and include updates on Wisconsin legislation, invasives and other issues of interest to our lake community, plus highlight the role of law enforcement on maintaining the health and enjoyment of our Northwoods lakes and rivers.
WCC Spring Hearing accepting input on regulating wake surfing
VCLRA is again requesting your input to the 2023 Wisconsin Conservation Congress Annual Spring Hearing on REGULATING WAKE SURFING ON WISCONSIN LAKES AND RIVERS. Input can be provided online from noon April 10 to noon April 13.
(C) T F Ewing
Northwoods LIGHTS OUT!
Looking for another way to enjoy the wonders of the Northwoods? Exploring the night skies, watching fireflies and stargazing are but a few ways to appreciate the darkness. Join us for two weekends of LIGHTS OUT...
Winter 2022-23 newsletter available
Our Winter 2022-2023 newsletter is available. Read about Hazardous Wake Issues, Blue Heron Stewardship awards, AIS prevention and much more…
Happy Holidays!
As we bring 2022 to a close, I am deeply grateful for the work we've accomplished together to protect the beautiful lakes and waterways of Vilas County...
Wake Boats a hot topic at Wisconsin NRB
Last week, the Wisconsin Natural Resource Board met to examine the issues surrounding wake boats to look at actions, including new laws, to address the issues.
2022 Vilas County Lakes Conservation Partners Meeting
Join other local lake organizations, professionals, and volunteers next week on Friday Oct 28 from 9:30-Noon at the Boulder Junction Community Center for the annual Vilas County Lake Conservation Partners…
Changing climate impacts our lakes
by Dea Larsen Converse, larsenconver@wisc.edu A recently released report on climate impacts to water resources in Wisconsin from the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts (WICCI) shows that warming temperatures…
2022 Six-County Lakes & Rivers Conference Presentations
View the presentations from our most recent multi-county lakes & Rivers Conference
Northern lights reflecting in Plum Lake
Capturing Vilas County’s beautiful starry-night skies
My love for the night sky started when I was just a kid, as early as I can remember. I grew up on the south shore of Plum Lake in Sayner, which was the perfect spot to see the night sky. Growing up one of my favorite things to do (and my familys) was to take our boat out on the lake at night, we called it a midnight boat-ride. Once out on the lake you can see so many stars since there isn’t any light pollution near Sayner. That is where it all began.
Regulation of wake boats: an opportunity to provide input to state regulators
The public has an opportunity to influence state regulations through the 2022 Spring Hearing online input sponsored by The Wisconsin Conservation Congress (WCC), which is a liaison between the citizens of Wisconsin, the Natural Resources Board (NRB) and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Its purpose is to provide an avenue for public input and exchange concerning conservation issues in Wisconsin. Pending approval by the Wisconsin Legislature, what started as a Citizen Resolution can become a Wisconsin rule/law. To that end, WCC has submitted several proposed Citizen Resolution questions for Vilas County and Dane county. If these resolution questions pass the first step, they will follow the process toward a hazardous wake resolution at the state level. If successful, current State boating regulations and statutes could be changed to regulate wake boats.
2022 Six-County Lakes & Rivers Conference
Lake group leaders and members from six northern Wisconsin counties will convene for a discussion of the environmental impacts of wakeboats and other issues related lake recreational capacity on Friday, July 15th, and will return to an in-person event.
Comment on VCLRA’s Wake Boats article
by Bobbie Kocim, bkocim@sbcglobal.net
I read the Winter 2021-22 Newsletter article regarding Wake Boats. [See page 6 of the winter newsletter.] It may be of interest to readers to know WI currently has State Statutes which offer some relief from documented wake boat damage.
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Winter 2021-2022 Newsletter available
Happy New Year! Our Winter 2021-2022 newsletter is available online (members who get print copies will get these by mail in a few weeks). Read about Wake Boats, the Northwoods…
