“The process is more important than the product” says Randy French of French Planning Services.  Without a proper process that engages community members and creates buy-in and forward action, a lake plan will simply end up on a shelf.The lake planning process was designed by FPSI to answer the needs of Peninsula Lake in 1999.  Since then, many Lake Associations and Conservation Authorities have adopted the basic principles and objectives of their process and have adapted it to fit the needs of their lake or river community.  However, in order to ensure the process is valid, transparent and based on consensus there are many elements to the process that most be followed. 

This chapter describes 24 steps for completing your plan, and figure 4 on page 16 of the Handbook highlights 13 steps that are necessary to validate your process (e.g., engage residents and business operators, consider all comments before approving plan).

FPSI designed the lake planning process based on the principles and objectives of other planning processes for forest, parks, water, and resource management, and municipal and crown land use.  In essence, a lake plan is really a watershed plan but at a smaller scale, which is more readily understood and tangible to people. Once you discover the values and issues at a lake scale, it is easier to understand the context of your lake or river in a larger watershed.

This chapter contains the following:

• Section 1 – Lake Planning Steps describes a series of steps to be considered in designing your planning process including: getting organized; collecting and analyzing information; contacting people; and how to prepare, approve, implement and monitor your lake plan.
  
  
• Section 2 – Getting Organized and Laying the Groundwork provides information on how to get started and who to involve in the process.  It provides information on fundraising, reducing costs, and how to define the scope and prepare a vision statement, principles and targets.
  
  
• Section 3 – Engaging Your Community identifies who to involve and provides approaches to engage and motivate your community and get buy-in from your local municipality. Examples of surveys and workshops are provided, including a list of simple volunteer jobs.

To read this chapter of the FOCA Lake Plannning Handbook, simply select the image below and use either up/down arrow keys or the roller function of your mouse to move through each page. You can also use page up or down to view the entire document, once you have selected it with your mouse.

Document setting do not allow you to save, copy or print this document. If you would like a copy that you can use for your lake association, contact FOCA (Federation of Ontario Cottagers Associations) through their website or by calling 705-749-3622 during regular business hours.