Minnesota Counties Concerned About 50% cut in AIS Funding

From what I have experienced with the landing lords, its a joke. I’ve come to dock expecting a hold up but found the two dnr guys sleeping in the truck. In general I think that most anglers try to keep things off the boats and trailers without having to be monitored. BUT, there are those who simply could give a rip…. how do you enforce anything with them?

The argument that zeebs may be peaking again is a moot argument: just like the recent thread on crappies having cycles, so too do zeebs. They’ll curb their own kind’s numbers naturally.

I’ve come to believe that all invasives are the ultimate opportunists that have the upper hand in the battle over control simply because man cannot realistically put a roadblock on their movement from one water to the next, just like man cannot stop poisons used on weeds or nitrogen rich fertilizers being used on land immediately next to waterways. The old adage that “you can tell’m, but you can’t tell’m much” seems to apply to the homeowners on waterways.

The invasives issue began with international shipping using the Great Lakes. If someone is going to be held accountable for controlling invasives, the shipping industry should be tapped for resources to do since nobody on this site that’s 70 or more brought then invasives here and that’s about how far back one has to go to see the insertion of the damned things.

Personally I think its simply too late to get all ruffled up about invasives because there is no cure now.

FinnyDinDin wrote:

I was a little relieved it wasn’t sniffing for the fish whistle.

Why, it’s just some harmless(and now legal) vegetation.

Now, Eurasian milfoil on the other hand… The true devil’s lettuce.

On one hand it seems to create jobs for older folks or those that need a little extra income. On the other side having these folks sitting at ramps that might see a boat or two a day if any doesn’t seem like the best use of our money.

Great comments by all.

There aren’t good ecosystems or bad ecosystems, just ecosystems. It’s people that put a value on them. What is good for one user can be bad for another. For instance, milfoil in Minnetonka is bad for jet skiers/pleasure boats. That same milfoil has been good for bass and bass fisherman.

Overall, the wasted money on AIS has been terrible.

Losing battle.

Mike W wrote:

On one hand it seems to create jobs for older folks or those that need a little extra income. On the other side having these folks sitting at ramps that might see a boat or two a day if any doesn’t seem like the best use of our money.

Most of the inspectors I talk to are volunteers. I wonder what the split is between paid inspectors and volunteers?

Matt Moen wrote:

Most of the inspectors I talk to are volunteers. I wonder what the split is between paid inspectors and volunteers?

I think most of the older guys are the volunteers while the younger are paid and quite likely the kids of DNR employees.

guy up this in 70’s and he gets paid

Mike Schulz wrote:

guy up this in 70’s and he gets paid

I’m sure some are paid positions, especially if the heavy equipment is on site and used.

FinnyDinDin wrote:

You can’t stop AIS. They are pizzing money in to the wind just to slow it down…maybe. Such a freaking waste of tax payor dollars. I couldn’t believe it when I got stopped on a highway for an AIS check and they had a dog trained to sniff out zebra mussels. Are you fugging kidding! I was a little relieved it wasn’t sniffing for the fish whistle.

Most of the fear are rich lake shore owners. Lots of those people are nuts. Lots of it is false fear from ignorance. And FWIW, i have lived my whole life on lakes other than college years and a few years after.

Those same lake shore owners are the ones dumping non stop chemicals in the lakes and that goes without punishment.

Jimmy Jones wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Matt Moen wrote:</div>
Most of the inspectors I talk to are volunteers. I wonder what the split is between paid inspectors and volunteers?

I think most of the older guys are the volunteers while the younger are paid and quite likely the kids of DNR employees.

All the younger ones I’ve talked to are some form of intern it seems like.

Try to always be courteous and polite to the on the ground inspectors. They are doing a job created by the people in charge. Not an inspectors fault for that.

Trying to control ais is a feel good do nothing waste of funds. There’s no stopping it. Yeah it “might” slow the spread, but by how much over time? And what good does slowling the spread by such a tiny fraction of a percent actually accomplish?

If you really think cleaning off the external parts of a boat or trailer is slowing the spread, you isn’t super bright about the in’s and out’s of watercraft plumbing or trailers. Many things get caught up between a carpeted bunk and the watercraft sitting on them. And don’t get me going on trailer frames and tubing. Or watersheds and how many are connected through all sorts of waterways. The river systems and everything connected to them will eventually get a chance to germinate seed or species across the list of ais species. Whether they take or become an issue in every body of water will remain to be seen.

Still try to clean everything the best I can, but have no real hope any of it is anything more than patting myself on the back for keeping my rig somewhat clean more for the visual vanity effect vs the actual ridding the rig of anything and everything hiding in the bowels of the trailer and plumbing of the boat.

It’s a lot of money spent for nothing meaningful as far as results.

Matt Moen wrote:

They’ve kept silver carp out of the upper Mississippi so far. So, it’s not totally impossible to stop the spread.

This project has been placed on hold for now because of a funding freeze of federal money to the State of Illinois, which was previously authorized into law during the previous administration.

Bearcat89 wrote:

All the younger ones I’ve talked to are some form of intern it seems like.

That’s generally correct. They are usually summer interns or student workers.

I didn’t specifically do AIS when I was an intern for the DNR, but I could have. I did lake surveys instead which I found to be far more interesting.

As a lakeshore property owner I’ve watched our waters really change in the last 12yrs or so. First came the milfoil, then the zebes now Starry Stonewort showed her ugly side. I can deal with the zebes but thick masses of weeds are a problem, 2 yrs ago there wasn’t 1 boat on a lift that the prop wasn’t covered with weeds. Fortunately with a grant and our lake association there was quite a few acres worth of weeds that got killed off but more needs to be done. I’m all in favor of these launch kids, if 1 rig is found bringing something in, then it’s a success.

Swimjiggin wrote:

As a lakeshore property owner I’ve watched our waters really change in the last 12yrs or so. First came the milfoil, then the zebes now Starry Stonewort showed her ugly side. I can deal with the zebes but thick masses of weeds are a problem, 2 yrs ago there wasn’t 1 boat on a lift that the prop wasn’t covered with weeds. Fortunately with a grant and our lake association there was quite a few acres worth of weeds that got killed off but more needs to be done. I’m all in favor of these launch kids, if 1 rig is found bringing something in, then it’s a success.

Sounds like none of those measured worked very well on your lake.

IMHO it’s a huge waste of taxpayer $$$$ I have NEVER truly had an inspection in MN. Most of the “inspectors” are college kids or elderly. The kids set up their lawn chair in the shade and do their homework or read a book. The elderly are just happy to have someone to talk to. Not once have I had an inspection. They ask what was the last lake you were at and write down your lic #. Now when we go to Montana there is a mandatory inspection at the truck scale on I-94. 2 people come out and really go through everything. They check anchors and ropes, physically get inside the boat and look at live and baitwells, landing nets etc. They go underneath the boat and look for ANYTHING. We always get compliments on how clean our boats are. They do a complete inspection and it takes 20 min to 1/2 hr. Then they put a seal between the winch and the boat so the inspectors at the lake know its already inspected and hasn’t yet been in the water! Way more scrutiny, but they told us it hasn’t come close to stopping AIS.

Thats great news but it should be cut to like $1,000 total.

That crap all started in the 90s, eurasian milfoil was going to ruin every lake in MN.
I’m still waiting for that and I can’t fathom how much money has been wasted.

North of Mille lacs they are all paid. I’ve heard $18 to $22 an hour. Wouldn’t be surprised if they get something for the vehicle to. Have seen young and old doing this job and also run into a few people to worthless to even apply for a job like this. It might not be a great job but atleast these folks are showing up to do it.

now that you say that Mike I think they do milage

Elon would come up with the most comprehensive plan, that would have the best bang for our buck. Now Kamala…. what would she do ??? Your turn.

big_g wrote:

Elon would come up with the most comprehensive plan, that would have the best bang for our buck. Now Kamala…. what would she do ??? Your turn.

I get the feeling if the state did nothing to combat AIS, the same old(emphasis on old) talking hats would be just as upset.

ganderpike wrote:

I get the feeling if the state did nothing to combat AIS, the same old(emphasis on old) talking hats would be just as upset.

And AIS would still be here. In about the same levels they are now.

They are desperately trying to lock the barn now…..but the horses have been out tunning free for years.

It’s here, its spreading, and the best we can do is slow the spread theough education. Their stupid stations and weed cops are doing little to nothing.

Timmy wrote:

They are desperately trying to lock the barn now…..but the horses have been out tunning free for years.

It’s here, its spreading, and the best we can do is slow the spread theough education. Their stupid stations and weed cops are doing little to nothing.
[/quote

Very true Timmy… recalling a salmon fishing trip to Lake Mich 1975. A couple USFW Service employees were doing waterfowl surveys. Both of these biologists told us that if AIS like zebra mussels weren’t contained on Lake Mich, they would spread west. The time was then to do something. The shipping industry, and state government reluctant to do anything, nothing happened to keep-em on Lake Mich. Well, it was too late, and the zebra mussels hitched rides on watercraft headed west. The barn door was open. Many organizations trying to keep em out of their lakes or rivers used a level of scare tactics, property values would tank etc. Access inspectors, stations were set up to raise awareness and another goal was to slow the spread, buy time with the hope a cure would be discovered. That has gone its course, the better way is to educate, the reasonable cost alternative.

I agree Gary that the better bang for the buck is education and it’s the reasonable cost alternative to wasting money on AIS inspections. One of the earlier posts stated that “I’m all in favor of these launch kids, if 1 rig is found bringing something in, then it’s a success”. Huh? Doesn’t he realize that the battle to stop AIS has been lost and that battle was lost long ago. What kind of success is finding AIS on one boat when how many boats prior to when AIS inspections were started entered the lake contaminated with AIS or how many boats use the lake accesses during the hours that inspections are not conducted? That doesn’t even take into account the theory that AIS may be spread by birds and wildlife.
We all remember the predictions of the end of sportfishing in the Great Lakes when zebra mussels were first discovered as you refer to Gary but mother nature adapts. To my knowledge, sportfishing on the Great Lakes now is as good as it’s ever been for the most part and Minnesota lakes are no different.
There is no way to stop the spread of AIS in our Minnesota lakes either but like the great lakes, mother nature will adapt in Minnesota lakes as well.
The fisheries here in Minnesota in the future may not look exactly like they do today but our fisheries have always been dynamic and I believe they will be just fine. Many also seem to feel that all lakes are meant to be walleye lakes, bass lakes, etc., but in reality that isn;t the case. Every lake is better well suited for some fish species than others.
Fish populations go up and fish populations go down and that’s always been nature’s way, even before mankind was on the scene. It’ll always be that way.
I think that more of a threat to the fish populations in most of our lakes in Minnesota exists from the loss of habitat and pollution from runoff than AIS.
Why not invest the money now spent on AIS inspections in education and focus on some of the problems that can be remedied like habitat loss and runoff?

MN isn’t the only state wasting money on AIS inspections.

SD had a big boat check last year on HWY 12 just west of I29. Not exactly sure why they would be set up on the east bound lanes with s mandatory stop for inspection. I would have thought they would be stopping the west bound lanes heading towards Waubay and Webster.

I can weigh in with direct experience. I’m college, I took a MN DNR internship as an AIS inspector on Mille Lacs. It was the only paid internship I could find, and I wasn’t in the business of working for free.

Stationed at Father Hennepin State Park, after the first week I noted that people aren’t coming in and out during the week at a state park in any respectable numbers. I observed much higher traffic at liberty Beach and other public accesses.

After another day sitting there not doing any public educating, I requested a move to another landing. Here’s where the fun starts. Some program manager in Brainard decided, arbitrarily, to staff the state park but not the public accesses on the southeast corner of the lake. Had to get approval from 3 levels of supervisors to move myself to a landing where I could actually work for the tax money they were paying me.

They paid “supervisor” interns twice as much to drive around in circles checking in on us to make sure we were working…. Yet requesting more work took multiple levels of escalation and days of waiting for a reply.

I learned an important lesson that shaped my career after college- I won’t apply for any government job, ever.

That being said, myself and some others were actually doing good work, education, helping clean off weeds (which most boat owners genuinely appreciated), sometimes washing the boats when they gave us a wash station.

I developed good relationships with some locals who were in and out 3-4 days every week, saw some amazing pics of huge smallies and muskies, tipped off local CO’s on an illegal northern dumping operation, generally made the best of the situation.

Also spent a day with an actual DNR biologist out of brained. Found out they are incredibly rare, and if you want to actually work DNR you won’t get there without LE experience. They’re a law enforcement agency first and foremost, conservation/ biology in a distant second.

I should add there’s no reason for these people to cause a traffic jam. There’s like 5 questions to ask, whole boat owner is waiting in line. if your boat hasn’t been in the water for more than a week, no need to inspect. If it was previously in a zebra mussel lake or river, or a clean body of water, heading into mille lacs which is already fully infested, no need to dilly dally with inspections.

Actual inspection is 5 minutes tops- livewells empty? Check. Pitot tube free of zerbas? Check. Trailer free of weeds? Check. On your way into the water.

The inspectors taking 30 minutes to inspect a boat and causing traffic jams at a launch are power tripping, and you should complain to the local office about it. There’s no reason they can’t run a full inspection by the time you get unstrapped and plugs in ready to launch.