In response to a comment at the annual meeting Saturday, Aug. 28, at Lake Edward Town Hall about the governor's refusal to sign a bill that included updated shoreland regulations, Paula West, board member, said a citizen uprising is needed for anything to change.

"Citizens must use pressure and influence to make anything happen," she said.

Board member Ed Larsen stressed education.

"Our message has to be to educate people to the point we want to prevent problems rather than react to them," he said. "The only way you can prevent medical cost is to prevent getting sick. We have to educate people on how to get healthier. We have to prevent problems before they happen rather than react to a crisis once it's happened."

LARA represents 36 paid lake associations representing 70 some lakes, as well as 12,000 shoreland properties and more than $30 million in property taxes.

Larsen noted how valuable lakeshore property is in Crow Wing County. He said in Crow Wing County, historically Crosslake has had the highest property values, followed by Ideal Township and then Brainerd because of the high value of lakeshore property. He said the northern part of the county has paid nearly 50 percent of the total county property tax because of the valuable lakeshore.

To help educate people about the spread of aquatic invasive species, LARA has campaigned via radio ads and a billboard on Highway 18 that was made possible with $4,000 in funds from a DNR grant

LARA chose Highway 18 for the billboard because the goal is to keep invasive species present in Mille Lacs Lake from making their way to the Brainerd lakes area.

LARA board members learned new, bigger aquatic invasive species signs are coming from the DNR to be put up at boat landings.