Our purpose is to...The Friends of Messalonskee (FOM), a nonprofit volunteer organization, is dedicated to the preservation of Messalonskee Lake. FOM’s purpose is to educate the public and promote the responsible use of the lake through conducting projects, programs, and activities. These activities include supporting wildlife preservation, informing the public of the results of water quality monitoring, teaching and promoting the practices which protect the water quality of the lake ecosystem, and encouraging safe recreational use of the lake. The introduction of Variable Leaf Milfoil (VLM) in the 90's greatly influenced our organizational purpose.  The Messalonskee community is directly involved in milfoil removal methods.​  Activities include Courtesy Boat Inspectors who check for milfoil on boats, and “Invasive Plant Patrollers” who use their kayaks to check for infestations.                 An emerging major challenge to maintaining water quality is phosphorous loading that is caused by preventable problems such as water run-off from camp and town roads, septic systems, and/or inadequate lawn maintenance that is leading to algae blooms.  FOM raises community awareness of these issues by publishing water quality data on the website, and publishing pamphlets about lake protection. As the situation worsens, FOM needs to make a real impact by involving the broader community in a watershed survey to assess phosphorous “hot spots” so that a strategic plan can be developed.