Two statewide awards go to UW-Stevens Point’s Klessig

Lowell Klessig, resource management specialist in the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point’s College of Natural Resources (CNR), has been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Wisconsin Lakes Partnership and the Visionary Leadership Award from the Wisconsin Chapter of Extension Service Professionals (ESP). The partnership includes the Wisconsin Association of Lakes, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and UW-Extension.

For 30 years, Klessig has promoted sound, scientific and citizen-based lake management for Wisconsin’s 15,000 lakes through his work at UWSP and for UW-Extension. According to the partnership, Klessig has "lived lake management for his entire career. This award is an attempt to say, ‘Thanks for everything!’ from the lake users and riparian owners of Wisconsin."

Prior to joining UWSP in 1980 as a professor of natural resource management, Klessig served as a statewide extension lake management specialist. He played a key role in passage of state legislation creating the Wisconsin's first lake districts in the early 1970s.

"My message has been straightforward . . . with proper training in organizational leadership and lake ecology, citizens can be effective partners with local and/or state government," said Klessig. His message has become global with visits to China, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand and Denmark.

The Visionary Leadership Award is based on Klessig’s career-long leadership including development of the Wisconsin Lakes Partnership and 23 years as chair of the Environmental Resources Unit first at UW-Madison and than at Stevens Point. ESP believes that citizens can participate directly in managing natural resources and have a positive impact on their community and state.

Klessig has lectured and written for three decades on lakes management and lakes organizations. Some of his best known works include, "A Model Lake Plan for a Local Community," "The Wisconsin Guide to Lake Law" and "Acid Rain in Wisconsin." He wrote the first issue of "Lake Tides" newsletter in 1975 and has continued to edit the newsletter for 20 years.

In 1986 he received the Distinguished Service Award from the Wisconsin Federation of Lakes and the Wisconsin Association of Lake Districts. Klessig was part of the organizing committee in the late 1970s that ultimately gave birth to the North American Lake Management Society. He has lent his expertise to the Wisconsin Legislature, county boards, city councils and other governmental and nongovernmental organizations involved with lake conservation.

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