Protect Forest Lakes - Welcome Home
WE LOVE IT HERE, especially near the Forest Lakes, where the beauty of nature thrives and the quiet of a rural area abounds
Our Mission and goals
Our mission at Protect Forest Lakes is to honor, protect, and enhance the natural environment and culture which we all enjoy as defined by the East Bay Township Zoning designation of the Lakes Area. By organizing and working together with our neighbors, businesses and governing entities, we can keep our lakes and lands healthy and sustain the rural culture from which we all benefit. Our goal is to ensure that the current zoning ordinances, municipal codes, and safety regulations are followed and to craft new ordinances as needed to improve our local environmental lake quality, and to protect the environmental health of our waters and watershed, and the rural character of our neighborhoods.
About Protect Forest Lakes
Our History
Starting in 2021, Protect Forest Lakes was created through phone calls, shared experiences, and conversations at township meetings. We reached out to one another across the lakes, including Arbutus Lake, Rennie Lake, Spider Lake, and the surrounding area, to work together toward a common goal:
We are Protect Forest Lakes (PFL), a group of neighbors dedicated to preserving our unique and beautiful region and its countryside feel. PFL is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization formed in 2021 to help protect our beautiful area, including the pristine environments around Traverse City. Our members share their concerns, dedication, and passion for keeping the Forest Lakes Area as natural and residential as possible.
PFL WILL:
1. Highlight issues presented to us by East Bay Township, Grand Traverse County, or any other public or private entity that may affect us,
2. Serve as a base for knowledge and experience so that as issues arise, we can respond quickly,
3. Strive to assist any neighbor or group that needs and requests such aid if it aligns with PFL's goals and abilities,
4. Provide the strength and experience of our organization for legal purposes for any necessary legal action that the members and board agree requires it,
5. If requested, aid local lake associations in the area regarding communication beyond their membership to enhance coordination of efforts, and
6. Seek enforcement of applicable regulations and ordinances that affect us as a whole.
PFL WILL NOT:
1. Create any rules or standards,
2. Operate as or become any sort of homeowner’s association,
3. Interfere in any way with any Lake Association, or
4. Represent any one individual, but rather our group as a whole.
Our dues are only $20 per year, and we gladly accept donations. By joining, you will become part of a dedicated group of neighbors who actively monitor and participate in local government for our collective benefit, while communicating news about issues affecting us, both on and off the lakes.
We aim to be an effective resource for all neighbors in the Forest Lakes Area. Our goal is to protect our area for future generations, for taxpayers and residents, not just for the next summer or for profit.
Your $20 will help combat issues such as commercial overdevelopment and the harm it causes to our environment! Please join us. Become a member today!
About Protect Forest Lakes
Our Board Members
We are passionate and dedicated individuals committed to the preservation of the Lakes Area, including beautiful locations like Arbutus Lake, Rennie Lake, and Spider Lake.
Larry Mudd, President, Arbutus Lake
David Endicott, Vice President, Arbutus Lake
Brandon Falenski, Secretary, Arbutus Lake
Allyson Tinker, Treasurer, Arbutus L
We are passionate and dedicated individuals committed to the preservation of the Lakes Area, including beautiful locations like Arbutus Lake, Rennie Lake, and Spider Lake.
Larry Mudd, President, Arbutus Lake
David Endicott, Vice President, Arbutus Lake
Brandon Falenski, Secretary, Arbutus Lake
Allyson Tinker, Treasurer, Arbutus Lake
Merrie Thompson, Member at Large, Rennie Lake
Judy Nemitz, Member at Large, Spider Lake