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Version 2 June 1, 2012 Ramsey- Washington Metro Watershed District Board of Managers 2665 Noel Drive Little Canada, MN 55117 RE: The future of water resource stewardship in the Grass Lake watershed Members of the Board: On behalf of the Grass Lake Watershed Management Organization (GLWMO) Board of Commissioners we wish to express our hopes and optimism for the stewardship of Grass Lake watershed water resources_ We are very pleased that an experienced and successful water management agency such as RWMWD will follow our foot -steps in achieving our vision for the watershed (see June, 2011 Draft 3rd Generation. Plan). The Board spent all of 2011 assessing the physical and ecological state of our water resources and evaluating the GLWMO's inherent capacity to meet the challenges of future management. In this endeavor, we were assisted by very committed groups of citizens and city officials seeking to share their knowledge, history, and perspectives regarding the water resources of this area. Many of our citizens have lived on area lakes for more than V2 century and have great affinity for their lakes. Wherever possible, we tried to embrace this valuable resource in the creation of our Draft 3rd Generation Watershed Management Plan. We worked very hard on and are very proud of this effort, especially the opportunities for citizen involvement. We wish that we were able to bring more detail to the overall management strategies for the plan, but, it was determined that this would not be feasible given the inherent logistical challenges a small geographic watershed faces. A recent study completed by the Ramsey Conservation District and published for the GLWMO, however, brings detail to future management opportunities for the Lake Owasso watershed. It is our hope that our draft 3rd generation plan, the 2012 RCD Lake Owasso stormwater retro -fit study, and the Use Attainability Study for Lake Owasso completed by Barr Engineering in 2009 can serve as a useful source of information for your expanded planning to include the GLWMO area. You will see that our Draft Plan placed a very high priority on public education and direct public involvement in watershed protection. This priority was underscored at our November 17, 2011 draft plan Public Hearing, where many Lakeshore residents expressed their sincere interest in managing their shorelines and riparian areas to be better stewards of the Lakes. We hope that you will embrace the progress we have made with residents and the stewardship of their lands in your management programs for this area.