ACTION NEEDED Wright Co. Invasive Species Ordinance Has Passed

[drscholl14]

I don’t know if it has been talked about here but the Wright Co. AIS ordinance has been passed and is headed to the DNR for approval. This could impact our public launches by forcing us to have mandatory inspections at an off access site. And charging a $10-$40 fee if you chose to do a self inspection. Other lake associations are watching this to see if they can pass it for their lakes as well. Please read the proposal linked below and email Sarah Strommen at sarah.strommen@state.mn.gov if you disagree with it. This could turn into a huge issue. The DNR is the only thing standing in this ordinance’s way and you can bet if this one passes it will spread throughout other counties lakes around the state.


http://www.wrightswcd.org/Water_Mana...n_proposal.pdf

[MichaelJ3]

I read the proposal, and to me it attempts to strike a balance between protecting the resource and minimizing the inconvenience to the lake users.
I am of the mind that we should do all we can to protect our lakes from zebra mussels, milfoil, spiny water flea, and all the other yucks out there.
If I lived in Wright County, I would probably get certified as a self inspector, eat the $10-40 for the education, and go that route...I know my boat, I care for it, and I am very careful about making sure all the stuff is off it, and it dries or gets a hot-water decon before going to another lake...

If you have other proposals to help protect the lakes, I think you should bring them up...it is not us frequent boaters that give a damn that are the issue...its the 2 weekend a year people that are not stewards of the resource who, on one small move, can mess up a whole lake...

Net, why are you opposed to the proposal?

[Fishysam]

i'm against it because pelican lake musky fiasco will use it to restrict my access if they can. sole reason. i protect the lakes by dring my boat by hand before leaving inside and out

[TBBasser]

This proposal is a joke. It's entirely about lake privatization. Why would cleaning your boat before it is put into already infected water be of any use? The original lakes all have invasive species (one didn't before this was put into effect) and so do all the new lakes that they are proposing to add to the list. If you were to go to one of the meetings it would be very apparent what is behind it. Everyone seems to like the idea of the self inspection course but remember , that is only for Wright county and a large number of other lake associations from around the state were they asking how they can get on board. How many counties in Mn? Take that number or more by 40 and you see where its going. Sorry if i seem hostile but have fished all these lake and have run in's with the lake shore owners at the ramp and on the water. Grown men in Skidoo jets boats running circles around my partner and i fishing a weedline and it was intentional. They fought the DNR about access to Sylvia Twin and were none to happy with the new large upgrade access they put in with double the parking. That said, the DNR has to approve it and will announce their decision on 4/15. I would ask fisherperson in this state to write to Sarah Strommen and voice you opposition to this while we still have a chance.

[Ruddyduck]

Net, why are you opposed to the proposal?

I live in Wright county and oppose this. Yes, If it passes I will get the self inspection sticker. My gut feeling though from going to a few of the meetings and following this is that in a year or two they will deem too many self inspectors were in violation and that part will be removed with no approval by DNR. From Talking with the County Leader(Alicia Ohare) on this and hearing the Assocs leaders on this, they care nothing about the impacts on boaters. They seem surprised that anyone would want to fish at 4:00am or head to the lake after 9:00pm, haha. We are the bad guy/outsiders to them and their lakes. I tell them I always check my boat myself and just get a blank look back.

In link below, I pulled a snippet out of what one of the leaders thinks of boaters and the self inspection sticker. This is why if it does pass, I still believe self inspection is short lived and we will be stuck with the offsite inspections. An extra 30 mile round trip in some cases for some of the lakes I fish. And yes, we all should check our boats as best as we can. Not everyone does and some I see that don't have been Bass boats.

Example: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2019/0...-pilot-program

Joe Shneider, president of the Minnesota Coalition of Lakes Associations, said the addition of the self-inspection program concerns him, because it requires "personal responsibility."
"That's been the DNR's motto on AIS: If you get them smart, if you get them charged with personal responsibility, you will not have a problem," Shneider said. "Well, we know what's happened with that."

[Swede]

If this catches on, it will be the end of fishing in MN as we know it. I never hear about lake shore owner banning lawn chemicals that turn the lakes into pea soup. Gotta have those golf course type lawns. Here are the DNR email addresses to send your opinion to:
ann.pierce@state.mn.us
steve.colvin@state.mn.us
jess.richards@state.mn.us
patti.blom@state.mn.us
sarah.strommen@state.mn.us

You might also want to voice your opinion to the new MN-Fish coalition started by Ron Shara and Al Lindner.

info@mn-fish.com
www.mn-fish.com

[drscholl14]

I oppose it for two reasons. First being it isn't going to stop invasive species from getting into the lakes. Hell, they found starry stonewart in one of the lakes in this proposal after the test period of inspections last year!!! Not to mention they don't even require an exit inspection! Second, from what I was told by an individual who was at the meeting there were other counties/lake associations present, gathering up all the info they could so they could start their proposals.

I am worried this will spread across the state and if I want to take a day trip to mille lacs or any other place that may pass this, I will have to either 1. pay for a personal inspector certification (basically paying to use a public access) or 2. Have to drive up an hr and 45 minutes the day before to be inspected because I want to get up there at sunrise before there are no inspectors at the launch that early.

[MichaelJ3]

Seems like if this were to go state wide, maybe a better answer would be that a person could have their boat inspected at ANY inspection station, vs only in their own county, or only in the county of the lake being accessed. That might mitigate some of the inconvenience. Then if inspection stations were en route, you could just stop at one on the way.

I see your points, it isn’t clear that it is even effective. I was unaware that the lakes on the list were already infectted. That being the case, seems like a better way to mitigate the spread would be to require a decontamination upon EXIT, vs before entry. Unclear how one could enforce that...but if they put a decontamination station at the access of infected lakes, that seems like a more effective method. I’d willingly use one if it existed.

it sucks that lake associations and property owners think it’s ok to harass citizen boaters who launch for the day, be it to fish or to use the lake for other purposes. My in-laws own property on a lake out in Kandiyohi county where we visit often. They certainly don’t subscribe to the theory that the lake belongs to them...All the lakes in the state belong to all of us. But, your point is taken, I have seen people harass day users.

Anyway, thanks for pointing this stuff out, I do think I’ll call and convey my opposition to the proposal as written. Generally I’m in favor of finding ways to prevent the spread...but tend to agree, after thinking and studying it more, that this isn’t quite the answer.

[Ruddyduck]

One of the parts that gets me is that the Station closes Oct 31st. So from Nov 1st til freeze up, no one is being checked entering or leaving the lakes. Some falls lately, we can fish into Nov a few weeks and a lot of people are duck hunting also then. You mean AIS can't be spread then?? Same thing in Spring, it says earliest it will open is April 1st. This is yet another item that pushes me to believe that these plans are at least partially geared to reduce boat traffic by the bigger High Dollar assoc's like Sylvia.

[Ruddyduck]

Second, from what I was told by an individual who was at the meeting there were other counties/lake associations gathering up all the info they could so they could start their proposals.

Yes,this is definately true. I was at one of the meetings in Annandale last year. There were several other counties there and the guy from Ottertail, I think he was from an Assoc or the county, specifically asked the DNR present, When can we start this, we want to do it ASAP!! He was basically shouting it at them. So other counties are watching this.

[Swede]

One of the parts that gets me is that the Station closes Oct 31st. So from Nov 1st til freeze up, no one is being checked entering or leaving the lakes. Some falls lately, we can fish into Nov a few weeks and a lot of people are duck hunting also then. You mean AIS can't be spread then?? Same thing in Spring, it says earliest it will open is April 1st. This is yet another item that pushes me to believe that these plans are at least partially geared to reduce boat traffic by the bigger High Dollar assoc's like Sylvia.

I was thinking the same thing. Seems the sky is falling except for late fall when they aren't worried about boat traffic.

[Fishysam]

Pelican lake nut job is all about traffic even November 31. I still can't believe he shot that goose.

[bassburch]

This better not go statewide. What a waste of time and money it would be. This foolishness needs to stop!

[jigworm]

NO lake association should have this much power if this passes say good buy to public waters

[Fishysam]

This better not go statewide. What a waste of time and money it would be. This foolishness needs to stop!

If it did I live in ND, it would completely stop me from making weekend trips and would cost the state lots of lodging, fuel, food, break down money...

[Treeguyus]

Want to share a couple of points.

1) Yes other lake asscociations will work to enact all of this. Big Sand Lake Asscociation is one of them in our area.

2) MNCOLA Minnesota's statewide lake group organization reccomended to its members to not support muskie stocking in the state, reason the nature in which muskie fisherman practice their sport are more likely to spread AIS. So now they want to tell the DNR what fish to stock and in the case of muskies use AIS to keep them out. Joe Schnieder was at a DNR Roundtable meeting in January, with Brad Parsons Fisheries Chief present, I asked if their was evidence to muskie fisherman spreading AIS more then other means. He said no. I went on and shared my concern that lake groups are using AIS to stop a successful stocking program. Joe Schnieder asked for more proof. I got his email sent him the statement on the MNCOLA web page. Never heard back from the guy but i have noticed MNCOLA did rephrase the original statement since the meeting In January

3) Lake groups want to say AIS is not transferred naturally, by birds one example etc. Well most taxidermists I speak with disagree after what they see when mounting hundreds of ducks and geese a a year.

To the comment reccomended a different better plan. Good idea, like having the hours more angler friendly but past experience has shown lake groups want it their way and only that way. Next on going issue we have too many moving onto the lakes and woods that have no clue to the changes in our natural lake and land ecosystems that are happening, forgeting we are a part of that ecosystem. Personally since 1980 when i first realized the importance to doing what we can to stop AIS have practiced procedures to minimize the chance of spreading it. But access restrictions of any sort to public waters is not the answer.

[Treeguyus]

Pelican lake nut job is all about traffic even November 31. I still can't believe he shot that goose.

What is even more shocking is he shot it in the spring, with a 17 caliber rifle on a small pond surrounded by residences. He went on to hide the goose. Unfortuantely for him workers in the area saw it and turned him in.

[Treeguyus]

I was thinking the same thing. Seems the sky is falling except for late fall when they aren't worried about boat traffic.

Well it may look to be about boat traffic it really isn't. Fall water temps drop of the 50's the chance for spreading AIS is almost zero as the veilgers are non existent in the water column. Preventing the spread of AIS, no process is 100% effective. The spread can be slowed however, and transfer by watercraft is one of the fastest mediums, not overlooking the potiential of docks and lifts and now wake boards.

[Ruddyduck]

I was talking all variety's AIS, not just zeebs. Milfoil can still be green in colder temps. Not sure about the Starry Stonewart and what temps it dies off at. Glad to hear zeebs can't be spread as easily in the cold temps.

[Champ187elite]

What pisses me off is how these lake associations propose this as they are "saving the lakes for the next generation". How does allowing boaters (with the potential of spreading AIS from clearly infected lakes) leave the area and bring this problem elsewhere? They dont care about about the next generation they care about themselves. I would be all for this program if they set this up for pristine lakes with no AIS but they chose lakes already infected with the most prevalent AIs as a starting point. How does that make any logical sense??? They are not leaving cleaner for the next generation, they are going to make it worse!

I emailed the president of the Lake john association and all she cared about was her property values going down... Which makes zero sense as well.

All they care about is saving a buck.