Federation of Vermont Lakes and Ponds
The Federation of Vermont Lakes and Ponds (FOVLAP) is a group of local lake and pond associations, individuals and others interested in promoting and maintaining the quality of the environment of, and the pleasure of living near and using, Vermont’s lakes and ponds. Most of us are waterfront property owners, but the Federation also includes individuals and businesses who are simply interested in helping us further our objectives. When the Federation was formed, the following mission statement was developed, “FOVLAP will be dedicated to the conservation, promotion, and development of environmental quality standards for Vermont lakes and ponds through communication with the local lake and pond organizations.”
Today, FOVLAP’s current mission statement is, “To preserve and protect Vermont’s lakes, ponds and their watersheds for the benefit of this and future generations.”
Annual membership dues are nominal for individuals, students or associations.
For the past few years, Vermont lake associations and homeowners wishing to learn more about managing their properties for lake health have had the opportunity to receive workshops, educational materials, and plants to help defray the cost of planting buffers. Through the Buffers for Blue Lakes program, lake associations invited local homeowners to attend a workshop where they learned about lake ecology and the role that shoreline buffers play in creating healthy shallow water ecosystems. In addition to the workshop and educational materials, 5 homeowners on each lake received blueberry plants, soil amendments, and technical support for planting their blueberries. In the past, grant funds contributed $500 per lake association for the workshops, buffer and blueberry planting information, soil amendments, and plants, and the lake association or homeowner contributed $50 per property. In 2015, FOVLAP’s grant funding supported workshops and educational materials, but lake associations will now decide how to provide blueberry or other native plants. We can help you with information about sources for plants.
The offer was provided on a first-come, first-served basis for eight lake associations willing to educate and inform homeowners about the benefits of a vegetated lake-shore. For additional information please contact Judy Davis at davisjud@gmail.com.
To learn more about why shoreline vegetation is so important for the health of your lake, watch the FOVLAP video “Lake Habitat: Life in the Shallows,” created by Jeremy Deeds, with underwater video footage by Ben Maddox.
Join Us
Join FOVLAP to connect with more than 80 lake and pond associations in Vermont! Learn how other lakes are dealing with issues like shoreline erosion, invasive species, and algae.