LPC is a small organization with limited staff resources. On many lakes, we rely on teams of volunteers to maintain, float, and store nest rafts. At our current size, staff capacity to float rafts during the spring is limited. Before we can add a new raft to a lake, we must ensure that there is a local team in place who we can rely on to care for the raft. Each lake should have a raft-floating team that consists of:

1) Representatives from at least three households. This ensures that if one person/household is unavailable in a given year, the raft will still be properly maintained and floated.

2) A point person who is responsible for communicating with LPC annually, including requesting any needed replacement materials for the raft and confirming that the raft has been floated in the spring and retrieved in late summer or early fall.

3) At least one member with access to a motorboat or canoe to use to float and retrieve rafts.

LPC staff will be available to assist with raft floating the first year to make sure that the local team understands what to do. However, in subsequent years, we will rely on the local volunteer team to maintain, float, and retrieve the raft.