Info kit available for lake home and cabin owners

The Lake Home and Cabin Kit is available through the U of M Extension Service Web site for a special price of $29.99 through May; it regularly retails for $34.99.

By Pauline Oo

From eNews, May 5, 2005

"You have questions. We have answers."

That's the promise on the new, bright green and blue Lake Home and Cabin Kit produced by the University of Minnesota's Extension Service.

The sturdy and portable boxed kit measures 9-1/2 by 11-1/2 inches and is filled with 50 loose-leaf, 8-1/2" by 11" cards that offer answers to the common questions encountered by lake home and cabin owners. For example, how do I conserve water with my septic system, how can I stabilize my shoreline to prevent erosion, how can I protect my trees from construction damage, and how do I get rid of a skunk? The questions and their succinct answers are divided into four tabbed sections for easy access: Home and Septic Systems, Shoreland and Water Quality, Trees and Woodlands, and Wildlife and Insects.

In addition to learning how to solve a problem, the kit is a way for lake home and cabin owners to pick up some tips on improving the value of their property and protecting the environment.

"People in Minnesota care deeply about their state's lakes and forests," says Bob Stine, associate dean of the College of Natural Resources. "They want to do what's right for the environment [and the kit is a way for us] to help people learn what they can do to keep Minnesota's natural areas healthy." Extension partnered with the College of Natural Resources and the College of Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Sciences to produce the kit.

The Lake Home and Cabin Kit is available for $29.99 through May (it will cost $34.99 after that). You can buy it online at the Extension Web site or U of M Bookstores.