The New Hampshire Lakes Association has emerged from its worst season ever with plans to rebuild from the losses incurred.

The New Hampshire Lakes Association, a nonprofit organization based out of Concord, strives to protect, serve and support the state's lakes through education and state legislation.

The organization ran into trouble back in December when it became so strapped for funds that it had to lay off two members of its six-person staff, association President Jared Teutsch said.

Teutsch himself took on the duties of the environmental policy director, who was laid off in December and is now wearing multiple hats as the leader of the organization. He said the association also had to lay off an administrative staffer and another staffer, whose salary was underwritten by a grant, resigned earlier to help save the association.

The N.H. Lakes Association survives on donations and member contributions and Teutsch said it generally does not have the kind of endowment to carry it through tough economic times.

"We have nothing reserved to fall back on," he said.

Teutsch said that last year's fall season was the worst the association had ever experienced.

"It hit us earlier than most," he said about the tough economy.

The month of November really precipitated the layoffs, Teutsch said, because the organization didn't take in enough money to keep going.

Teutsch said that if the trend that triggered the layoffs had continued, "we would have been in trouble." But he said the organization has been progressing and holding its own. The month of March proved promising for the association and it has only gotten better from there.

The association now plans to re-hire the laid off administrative position, but Teutsch said he will continue to hold the duties of the environmental policy director.

While the association is a statewide organization, Teutsch said the majority of members come from the Lakes Region and the organization hosts many of its events in the Lakes Region. A lot of its members are shorefront property owners, Teutsch said.

The Lakes Region is the region of the state most affected by the work of the N.H. Lakes Association.

"More than 50 percent of the surface water in the state is in the Lakes Region," Teutsch said.

The organization is now considering options to save money, including merging or partnering with other sister non-profits. Teutsch said he thinks this is the future of all non-profits and that the N.H. Lakes Association is already considering staff sharing with its sister organization in Maine as well as partnering with the N.H. Rivers Council.

For more information on the N.H. Lakes Association or the events it sponsors, visit the website at www.nhlakes.org