December 17, 2007
Commissioner Mark Holston
Members of Game & Fish Roundtable
Dear Commissioner Holsten & Members:
This letter is to avail you of discussion and consideration of legislation to be taken up during the 2008 session regarding issues affecting game and fish, regulations, licenses and management. Your input would be greatly appreciated.
First, the legislature is awaiting a report and recommendations from the DNR on a walk-in access program, per legislation from 2007. I will likely be the chief author of such a program so feel free to provide my office with your input.
Regarding fishing regulations, and following up on media reports from spring 2007, we will be considering legislation to begin fishing opener one week earlier than the present schedule. The benefits of this change include bringing the fishing opener to a date consistent with border lakes and border states, benefit resort activities, and reduce conflicts with Mother’s Day. I believe climate changes have impacted the spring spawning such that much if not all has occurred by the existing opener date. This should leave any biological impact minimal to none.
We will also consider establishing a statewide walleye slot and consistent limit of four. This is in the spirit of conservation as much as simplification of our fishing regulations. The public isn’t well served with complex regulations. Exceptions on slot lakes have begun to (if not already) swallow the general rule of a minimal slot and six fish limit. A statewide slot supports simplification and indicates a growing recognition that slots and four fish limits are beneficial for a fishery. Furthermore, every resort owner with whom I have spoken has resoundingly indicated a slot and four fish limit as beneficial to their operation, because of increased opportunity for recreational fishing. Important to remember is that a four walleye limit still results in eight filets per person per day. This still goes far over the 1-2 fish per week recommended to eat because of mercury content.
In addition, we will also consider the creation of a new conservation license similar to those found in Canada and elsewhere. Under this proposal the applicant would receive a reduced license fee in exchange for a reduced harvest. The purpose is to create an additional, voluntary method of conservation of the fishery. This discussion could also extend to a conservation hunting license.
Page 2 – Commissioner Holsten, Game & Fish Roundtable
Finally, there has been much discussion about the future of our hunting and fishing population and its impact on license purchases, resource management and our heritage as a hunting and fishing state. As such we will begin discussion of eliminating hunting and fishing license fees for all youth under the age of 18. According to the DNR this would result in a loss of $2M revenue from fishing fees. I believe the legislature has the ability to compensate this short term loss, and that the costs are outweighed by the long term benefit of recruiting youth who will become adult fee payers. This is an inexpensive investment in our future.
There may be additional proposals for which we will keep the Roundtable, DNR and other stakeholders apprised as best possible. We will approach mitigation of wildlife management area encroachment. Response from the Senate’s 2007 State Fair poll indicates over 75% support for restricting development on land surrounding wildlife management areas and other public hunting land.
Additional areas to be revisited include the issue of increased pheasant limit, steel shot and tackle, and aquaculture. There were also administrative problems during the first year of the venison donation program, where many hunters were not even asked if they’d like to participate (including yours truly). We will review what went wrong.
I welcome your input before, during, and after the 2008 Roundtable, and appreciate your hard work for Minnesota’s outdoors.
Sincerely,
Satveer Chaudhary
State Senator