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After five years of work and multiple conservation projects involving the Leech Lake Area Watershed Foundation, the Child, Girl, Woman Lake Property Owners Association (CGWLPOA), dedicated individuals, and willing conservation-minded landowners, the Minnesota DNR now owns 5,000+ feet of shoreline in Lantern Bay of Woman Lake. The DNR will manage this land in perpetuity as an Aquatic Management Area (AMA) to protect the unique natural resources of this 120-acre shallow bay that is essential to good water quality in the Woman Lake chain, is a nesting area for loons and other wildlife, a resting area for migrating waterfowl, and food producer for aquatic life throughout the lake.

The "Save Lantern Bay" project began five years ago when a large development of over 30 houses was proposed in this sensitive bay. Full development would have had serious consequences from the disturbance of land and destruction of aquatic resources from increased boating activity. LLAWF challenged Cass County in Court, and won, the need for an environmental worksheet to assess environmental consequences. Eventually, the developer abandoned the original plans and in December 2008, sold 1,600 feet of land to the Minnesota DNR and 400 feet to LLAWF. On July 14, the DNR purchased the two lots (400 feet of shoreland) from LLAWF using over $250,000 of acquisition funds derived from the new constitutionally dedicated sales tax money that voters overwhelmingly supported in the November 2008 election. Two other willing landowners in Lantern Bay also supported the project by selling portions of their property to the DNR to prevent future development.

[[In-content Ad]]The proceeds of the recent DNR purchase from LLAWF were applied to a loan from The Conservation Foundation that LLAWF obtained in 2008 to assist with the prior purchases. LLAWF and CGWLPOA have been actively fundraising over the past two year to raise over $338,000 to repay the loan for land already purchased. All but $50,000 has been raised thanks to the support of many dedicated donors. We need your help to meet our fundraising goal! Send your fully tax-deductible donation, marked Save Lantern Bay, to LLAWF, Box 455, Hackensack, Minnesota 56465.

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