2010 Legislative Accomplishments
Water Quality & Aquatic Invasive Species
- Boat Ramp Moratorium: Rep. Dill and Senator
Bakk introduced a measure to provide a five-year moratorium on the
construction of new DNR boat ramps on lakes that do not currently
have them. This is a common sense approach to controlling the
spread of AIS until real mitigation policies can be put in place.
MSRPO supported and testified on behalf of the bill.
MSRPO was the only organization to come out in support; those
opposed were the DNR and the MN Anglers for Habitat. Minnesota
Waters did not support the bill, despite requests from MSRPO to
join us in this effort.
The measure did not survive conference committee. MSRPO will
continue to push for better AIS control and mitigation.
- "Pull-the-Plug:" MSRPO advocated a
DNR-sponsored bill that requires boat owners to drain bilge, live
well and other water, including bait buckets, before leaving a
landing. The bill passed.
- Increased Penalties: MSRPO also tried but
failed to increase penalties for those transporting AIS, or failing
to meet other AIS laws.
In a state where the taking of a deer illegally costs citizens
very little but elicits a thousand dollar fine and possible jail
time, it is ridiculous that transporting AIS into a lake, which
causes potentially hundreds of millions of dollars damage, might
receive a fine as low as $50. It is time to get tough on AIS.
In 2011, MSRPO will work to create a two-tiered boat license fee
system that rewards those who do not move boats between lakes,
gives boat tab fee reductions to those who complete an on-line AIS
education program, increases money for AIS management, and
increases penalties for AIS transportation to the point that the
penalties create a true deterrent. We are open to ideas and
suggestions. The goal is to Stop the Spread of AIS to your
lake.
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