About the 101 Lakes: About 101 Lakes Trust

In December of 2004 the Steuben County Lakes Council formed a committee to review the possibilities of forming a land trust. During the winter of 2004-2005 this committee researched possible organization proto-types and in May invited all of the regional land trusts to a dinner to discuss the feasibility of forming a new land trust. The consensus was that a new land trust was needed to focus on lakes, rivers, and wetlands, and that this organization should be an umbrella association to facilitate communication and cooperation with all Steuben County Land Trusts.

On June 4, 2005 the Steuben County Lakes Council made a motion that the Report and recommendations of the SCLC Land Trust Committee be approved and brought before the August general membership meeting where the formation of a new land trust was accepted.
The land trust was named Steuben County Lakes Council Land Trust (SCLCLT) after its parent organization.

In October SCLCLT was accepted as a Land Trust Alliance (LTA) member, and in November it adopted LTA’s Land Trust Standards and Practices. In December 2005 SCLCLT adopted its by-laws.

SCLCLT officially became a non-profit 501 ( c) (3) organization June 2007 retroactive to April, 2006

In December 2005 when Fred Wooley, Pokagon State Park interpreter gave a report to SCLCLT about the possible auction of 200 acres of lake and land. In the spring of 2007 when the auctioned land was purchased by Ralph and Sheri Trine and then donated to Indiana State Park, the Land Trust, with the help of Terry Coleman, North Region Supervisor Indiana State Parks and Reservoirs was instrumental in helping to facilitate the purchase.

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