MN Boaters and MN Tourney Boaters

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Recently I attend the first of four DNR AIS Stakeholder meetings to sort through recommendations for Prevention and Containment of AIS. The folks who made these recommendations were primarily from Lakeshore Associations, lake cabin owners and environmental groups.

They have a plan. But it’s not the plan I would endorse. Listed below are some of their ideas.

The purpose to the three next meetings, is to sort through the proposals and develop a plan that incorporates the most realistic and obtainable. I’m concerned that this list are the only alternatives that they are looking at. Despite the outcome of these DNR Stakeholder meetings, I’m guessing that this group (which is rallying under the group Citizens AIS Initiative). Attached is a listing of the groups and individuals involved with this group.

Crow Wing LARA

Izaac Walton League

Hubbard COLA

Hubbard COLA

Kandiyohi C’ty,GLPOA

Cass County

Cass County

MN Ctr Enviro Advoc’y

Loss of boat, motor and trailer if found to have any fragment of any AIS while on any public road

Misdemeanor for any aquatic plant while on the road

License each boat for just one lake and one lake only, restrict that boat from entering other lakes

Quarantine infested waters and have law enforcement personnel available to ensure all boats are cleaned

Restrict access points to only those with inspection

Mark any boat with a sticker to show it has been on infested water

Require a permit for any boat at checkpoints and fine any without.

Require inspections of any boats entering the State.

Require a permit for any boat leaving it’s home lake.

Establish a two tier boat license for boats that travel between lakes

Establish a Red boat Blue boat sticker for boats and restrict Red boats from Blue lakes

Require a Special use Permit to use accesses and multiple lakes

Require a boat operators license and required AIS education

Close all public accesses on lakes that are not DNR controlled.

Mandatory Boat inspections on all infested waters

Require all fishing tournaments regardless of size to register and require mandatory education one month before the tournament.

Close all lakes with an AIS to tournaments

Quarantine “Super Spreader lakes , close public access to send a message (what the heck are Super Speader lakes)

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Anglers for Habitat is a non-profit alliance of anglers dedicated to the preservation and improvement of aquatic habitat, clean water and fishing in Minnesota.

Wow…the word “Draconian” comes to mind. I think the biggest problem with most of these proposals is that they won’t work. You can’t regulate the ducks and geese. I also find it interesting to see comments like “Close all public accesses on lakes that are not DNR controlled.” I thought all waters were public property, and therefore under DNR control.

How do we respond to this?

Rootski

This is what happens when lakeshore home owners mistakenly believe they own the lake.

If these were passed today, it would be my life long occupation to personally put a 5 gallon bucket of zeebs and millfoil in every lake in the state!

-J.

Too funny Jon!

What I see is odd is the the Corp of Engineers feels there is nothing we can do to stop Asian Carp. A fish ladder around L&D #3 isn’t going to make any difference. “We can’t stop them” they said.

But there’s a panel/committee/group formed to come up with a list like the above for AIS.

I know I’m slow but I just don’t get it.

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This is what happens when lakeshore home owners mistakenly believe they own the lake.

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That’s scary. The same guys yelling at me for fishing near “their dock” suggesting rules on how I use my boat on a public lake. Scary.

BK how did you find out about this meeting, and when is the next one?

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Anglers for Habitat is a non-profit alliance of anglers dedicated to the preservation and improvement of aquatic habitat, clean water and fishing in Minnesota.

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These guys do an awesome job of keeping their finger on the pulse of what’s going on in the Capital,with the DNR and other areas that can or could effect us as a whole.

I have an email in to Vern Wagner for more info on dates, times and locations. I’m not even sure if these meetings are open to the public.

Maybe Buzz will chime in with this info.

Thanks for bring this to out attention BK!

Replace the word “boat” with the word “bird” and see how ridiculous that reads.

Another reason to vote all currently in office out of office??????????????????????????
this is plain stupid, but as BK has been known to say “can’t fix stupid.”.

A little clarification.

Sounds like this was more of a “brain storming” session as these are not “recommendations” (at this time).

This is a closed DNR AIS committee meeting.

Those are the facts.

Opinion> Time to let the DNR know we might want to add to this committee.

All, the idea’s listed above were recommendations of just regular folks who attended a series of AIS information meetings, and do not represent the recommendations that may be coming out of the DNR AIS Stakeholder meeting that I’m participating in. One thing is clear, many folks think we need to be doing more to prevent the spread and much of their focus is on boats, water related equipment such as docks and lifts, trailers and even aircraft pontoons.

So the current MN DNR AIS mtg is going to look at some of the ideas and new ideas that we bring to the table. Since boats/trailers are likely vector for spreading AIS, much of the conversation focuses on them. Personally I think the new boat draining law and increasing much of what we are already doing is the way to go. But I speak as an angler that goes to great length to clean my boat/trailer, pull the plug and do what I can to educate others.

So, if we don’t want rules made by Lakeshore associations, we need to come up with a good plan on how to create a better ethic for all boaters and others doing water service.

Totally rediculous! Let’s not let birds land in different lakes to. I think this will go over just like if fisherman started a group that wanted to ban lakeshore owners from putting in docks. That would be tresspassing on public water right? They need to get real.

I hope that those “rules” they want will go for their kyaks on the zebra muscle and spiney water flea infested waters of lake superior these libral hippies yak on every weekend… Hypocriats
Yes I know I can’t spell that. -Mark

Thanks for clarifying Buzz.

People, animals birds and in some cases wind moves these.
There can be some education, but really how much is that going to slow anything. Five maybe 10 more years?

Seems like there really can’t be any middle ground with a list of ideas like those.

I’m guessing it would be easier to stop illegal immigration than to stop invasives.

I’m a bit perplexed because if we could get better compliance with existing laws about draining water and cleaning boats and trailers, we would still have the extremists going crazy, but at least we would have the solid middle ground. I’m looking for the day when we as anglers and boaters start calling other on doing a better job. Personally if I’m at a tournament or ramp and someone is starting to drive off without cleaning the weeds off or pulling the plug, I say something. I’d like to see other folks start to take on this responsibility.

You can’t put teeth into a law if you can’t enforce it.

How can you enforce the law while cutting field staff? If you want to effect change you have to make breaking the law painful. Hire many, many more CO’s, enforce the laws. Get caught over the limit access huge fines, don’t spank their wrist and tell them not to do it anymore. Wanna stop the spread of invasives via boat and trailers? Heavy fines. It’s the only way.

Want examples?

$100 per fish
$100 for not draining or cleaning your boat and trailer. $500 second offense, $10,000 third offense. Wanna keep doing it………keep writing the check.

Now, before you wanna form a lynch mob and come looking for me think about the seat belt laws when first passed. They did reduce the amount of people who drove without belts. But once they started leveling fines people really started paying attention.

Why aren’t there at least 10 CO’S on Mille Lacs and Minnetonka each and every weekend enforcing limits, invasives, speeding, drinking on the water laws?

Maybe just shoot them?

Might make sense if we could actually stop all this, but somehow I doubt it, even if people comply I think its still going to spread…imho

But I agree, stricter enforcement probaly helps in some small way, least it slows it down.

Al

Brian, I unfortunately agree with you.

I mention the boat plug law to Five (5) pleasure craft boaters this weekend at a launch.

The all told me pretty much the same thing…F you and the DNR. And I was very polite in explaining the whys.

I’m only picking on pleasure craft here because that’s who I talk with, it would have been the same for fishermen.

Four out of the five hadn’t heard of the law.

Until there is a big write up some where concerning excessive fines the public won’t care. If the DNR can post slot limit signs at every landing they can post “$500.00 fines for not draining all water craft”. But then again……..until you start writing tickets it will be ignored.

Kind of nice having somebody agree with me for once tho.

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Brian, I unfortunately agree with you.

I mention the boat plug law to Five (5) pleasure craft boaters this weekend at a launch.

The all told me pretty much the same thing…F you and the DNR. And I was very polite in explaining the whys.

I’m only picking on pleasure craft here because that’s who I talk with, it would have been the same for fishermen.

Four out of the five hadn’t heard of the law.

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But the laws don’t apply to pleasure boaters, at least according to them.