Everything you need to know (almost!) about the Bad Medicine Lake Area Association
Q: What is the Bad Medicine Lake Area Association?
A: The Bad Medicine Lake Area Association (BMLAA) is a voluntary organization of area residents and property owners dedicated to the betterment of Bad Medicine Lake and the surrounding area.
Q: What is the mission of the Association?
A: According to the BMLAA bylaws: “The purpose of the Association is to bring together the residents of the Bad Medicine Lake area to preserve and improve the quality of our water, land, air, aesthetics, wildlife and other natural resources of the Bad Medicine Lake area; to provide educational and training resources for the healthy enjoyment of present and future generations; and to work in conjunction with federal, state and local agencies, public and private, to further the purpose of the Association. The Association shall keep members informed of the status of the lake, the surrounding area, and the activities of the Association.”
Q: Does BMLAA have any legal authority?
A: No. The Association has no formal power to make or enforce laws, rules or regulations. Those powers belong to government entities like the state, county or township. The Association, on behalf of its members, does have a legitimate interest in laws and rules that affect the lake and its residents and in their appropriate enforcement by government entities. The Association hopes to educate and encourage its members to act in a way that is friendly to the lake, their lake neighbors and the surrounding area.
Q: What does BMLAA do?
A: The Association supports a variety of actions that are likely to have the most positive (or least negative) effect on the long-term health of the lake environment. A partial list includes supporting AIS inspections, supporting the water quality research project currently underway, making sure the membership is aware of best practices to minimize adverse impacts on water quality, participating in the statewide Coalition of Lakeshore Associations (COLA) and coordinating with Forest Township and Becker County in pursuit of the purposes of the Association. Each member receives a Spring and Fall newsletter by mail, receives a Bad Medicine Lake Area Directory (last published in 2016) and has access to the BMLAA website.
Q: When does BMLAA meet?
A: The annual meeting of the Association is held in June of each year. All members are encouraged to attend and participate. Monthly meetings of the board of directors are held from April through September of each year at the Forest Town Hall. All Association members are welcome to attend and to bring concerns or suggestions to the board.
Q: How can I keep current with what’s going on with the lake and BMLAA?
A: The very best way to keep current is to visit the Bad Medicine Lake Area Association website at https://badmedicine.mnlakesandrivers.org/. Bookmark the site and follow the links to an amazing amount of interesting and useful information.
Q: Who is eligible for BMLAA membership?
A: All individuals eighteen years of age or older who are property owners, spouses or children of property owners, or seasonal renters and interested in furthering the purpose of this Association shall be admitted as a member of this Association upon payment of the $15 annual dues. Individuals not meeting the foregoing qualifications may be admitted to full membership by vote of the Board of Directors and upon payment of the annual dues. Each member who has paid the annual dues for the current year shall be allowed one vote in the affairs of the organization.
Q: How can I join BMLAA?
A: Go to https://badmedicine.mnlakesandrivers.org/, download the application form, fill it out and return it to the address on the form with your payment. Simple as that.
We look forward to having you join us in our efforts to keep Bad Medicine Lake one of the crown jewels of Minnesota lake country for years to come.
Scott Bentson
President, BMLAA