Minnesota DNR Taking Stronger Measures to Help Stop Spread of Invasive Species
I saw a couple of articles this past week referring to the latest announcement by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources that efforts to stop the spread of invasive species on Minnesota lakes will now shift further away from education and more heavily toward enforcement. What this means exactly is the subject of a bit of debate, but it appears that there will be a heavy focus on watercraft inspections and a heavier hand when it comes to dealing with boaters who violate state laws with respect to the transportation of invasive species.
While the DNR news release linked above has a reasonably friendly tone to it, a recent Star Tribune article quoted DNR enforcement chief Jim Konrad as saying “We’re done educating. If you get caught violating invasive species laws, you should expect a citation.” This coming on the heels of a year in which 840 warnings or citations were issued for violations. According to the article, 150 watercraft inspectors will be hired and deployed throughout the state to set up inspection stations… some with decontamination units, and to work with local governments and lake associations to help prevent the spread of invasive species like the zebra mussel and eurasion milfoil.
There will certainly be a good bit of grumbling from the perpetual DNR naysayers and a healthy dose of indignation that a person might have to submit their watercraft to an inspection, but I think I will reserve judgment until the plan is actually put into action. I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that we probably won’t be seeing DNR boat inspection points every 20 miles from International Falls to Albert Lea. More likely there will be strategically placed teams at boat launches and major tournaments… you know… places where you are likely to find boats that have been in the water.
Regardless of the methods employed to conduct the inspections, the question remains how effective the measures will be in reducing the spread of invasive species. I say “reducing” because the horse is already out of the barn in terms of infestation. Many have already pointed out the fact that waterfowl and other critters are fully capable of carrying this stuff from one location to another, but the fact remains that we anglers do need to be diligent and follow the regulations with respect to keeping our boats clean. I look forward to hearing some of your experiences this coming spring!
