Boaters will face roadside checks for invasive species

[EBass]

From the Strib...Outdoor section

For the first time, Minnesota boaters will encounter mandatory roadside check stations next summer where their boats will be inspected for aquatic invasive species.

Motorists pulling boats and other marine equipment would be pulled over and checked at the stations, staffed by the Department of Natural Resources, the agency announced Friday.

Boats that fail inspections will be sent to a decontamination area to be high-pressure washed with hot water.

Boaters caught violating laws against transporting invasive species will receive citations instead of warnings, this year, all part of a crackdown to try to slow the spread of zebra mussels and other invasive species.

The DNR is buying 20 decontamination units that wil be operated at zebra mussel-infested waters, high-use destination lakes and at DNR enforcement check points. The DNR’s plan is to increase inspections and decontamination of boats, and to increase public awareness of the problem.

“The DNR cannot be at every boat ramp this summer, making sure boaters, anglers and other water users are not bringing zebra mussels and other invasive species to public waters,’’ said DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr.

The DNR also hiring 150 watercraft inspectors who will be deployed around the state. Also, participants of major fishing tournaments will be checked for invasive species

[reinhard1]

but we dont have any money to hire more CO's? this will solve everything, i will sleep better tonight. good luck.

[delcecchi]

but they won't close the locks on the upper mississippi

[fivebucks]

While I agree that I would like to see the locks closed - it is something the DNR does not have the authority to do. It has to come from the US Corp of Eng.

[ClownColor]

yikes, I wouldn't want to be pulling my boat near one of those stations on a holiday wknd...

[OnAFly]

I think we'll be seeing a lot more traffic on the side roads up north this summer.

[SkunkedAgain]

I'm pretty sure that the checkpoints won't be on I-94 or I-35 anywhere. I bet that you'll see one outside of the Gray's Bay landing on Minnetonka and near major access routes to the major infested lakes.

[reinhard1]

what's going one with this thread? 5 pages are missing. i have been having trouble with getting on HSO all day and have posts i made deleted along with the majority of this thread.

now to repeat what i posted earlier so this issue has some information posted. i was fortunate to get hold of the person in charge of this project and having been critical of this because of reading the article posted i was given answeres to questions i had and am now in support of their effort.

only 2% of the project will deal with random stops, with 98% of the inspections at boat landings of effected lakes with zebras and other exotic species. no worries about traffic jams and the rest. at the boat landing just make sure that you have taken out your plug, empty'd your live well, bait bucket [refilled with tap water], lowered your motor if needed to release water by the prop area and lifted up to safe levels.

they have 23 portable washing units that get filled at DNR locations and do not need a water source other than that due to re-cycling the water they have. i would post more but i dont know if i will be having trouble with the site again. good luck.

[LightningBG]

RH1, that was the thread down in silly town, this is up in open water.

[reinhard1]

thanks, i didn't know we had three going for the same thing . thanks again. good luck.

[Riverratpete]

I have sent letters of disappointment to my state legislators about this DNR Roadside Boat Checks..even 2% is not acceptable to me. Are they going to start checking 2% of lakeshore property owners to ensure THEIR not contaminating the lake? with their over sized docks, toys, boats, tearing up the lake shore, etc?. To me the whole thing smells to high heaven..talk about turning into a fascist state to "protect" a resource. As a life long resident,tax payer,hunter,fisherman and veteran I'm pretty offended by the state and the Lake Shore Associations assumption of guilt mentality about people hauling boats..if fellow sportsman are not worried about this enforcement action they need to wake up.

[MnIceman]

There were just enough lazy people out there that said this would never happen. I can't count the number of times that I've seen people drive away from an access with weeds hanging on their trailer. Like the saying goes, one rotten apple spoils the rest. Now look at what we'll have to deal with. It seems communist to me,but I could see it coming.

[Hockey Guy]

It is absolutely fascist. Whether you agree that there is a problem or not, there is no excuse for the state legislature to grant the DNR the power to conduct unconstitutional searches. Not to mention that they are funding this program with tax payer money for the equipment and 150 now DNR Nazi’s. I’m not sure who talked to whom and came up with 2%, but you can read the actual DNR News Release here:

http://news.dnr.state.mn.us/2012/01/06/d...vasive-species/

I don’t see anything about 2%. What I do see is another over-reach by a government agency that will have unprecedented unintended consequences when sportsmen are delayed by 3-5 hours on their fishing trips. There is no mention of “Random” checks either. Everyone pulling a boat has to pull over! During opener and holiday weekends every other vehicle on the road is pulling a boat. If it takes an average of 10 minutes per boat and there are 30 boats in front of you, that’s 5 hours. I also think that this will have a deleterious effect. People will not check their boats over as well as they otherwise would have if they are in a hurry and they know they may have to stop at a checkpoint. They may decide to instead pull the weeds off when they stop for gas. Those weeds could now wash down to someplace else and so on…

[harvey lee]

I always clean by boat, motor and trailer before I leave any landing even if that lake I was on does not have an infestation of invasive species. Just a good practice.

Then we have the boat plug and the water in the livewell.

I awlays carry fresh water in the truuck for a cooler to put my bait in the boat in. I also pull my plug.

I guess when I stop at a gas station and see 10 boats there and see that only 1 has a plug pulled I can understand why the DNR is going further with the new AIS regs.

We have brought alot of this on ourselves by not complying.

Really is not that hard to comply even if some believe they should not be doing this. I understand why some are upset but we should have done a better job and just maybe we would not be here now with these new laws.

Seems most new game and fish laws are made due to non compliance or we just don't care and break the laws we do not care for.

I guess it is pretty simple, abide by the rules or pay a fine. Thats what it is coming down too. I have talked to many who don't pull thier plugs and asked why, thier response was, I don't have to and I don't want too. Here we are.

[Aaron Carrell]

I'm copying this from another thread about the same topic in the bass forum because I think a good amount of you need to get your heads out of your anuses and buck up a little. I completely agree with what Reinhard says here and I respect that he took the time to call the DNR to get the true facts. Some of you are blowing out of proportion that that supposed "2%" means anyways. Seriously. Maybe 2 roadside stops statewide at that percentage!

when i read the article in the trib that was posted in the other tread on this subject i also became sceptical and wondered about these road stops. anyway i called this morning at 8am and was fortunate enough to talk to the head of this operation in the DNR. the article was poorly written and did not give details, so the result was speculation and opinions including mine.

98% of the inspections will take place at the boat landings of affected lakes with zebras and other exotic species. i have always been in favor of this and stated so in the other thread. just makes sense. 2% will be random stops near infected waters that will take only 5 to 7 minutes of your time should you be stopped. no massive road stops as the article made it sound.

just be aware of existing laws and you wont have a problem. they have 23 washing units not the 15 stated in the article. they are self contained units that get filled at DNR sites. no need for a water source other than that because the mashine recycles its water, filters it, and re-uses it.

just make sure that the drain plug is out, tilt your motor if needed to get the water out of the prop area and then tilt it back, empty your live well, follow the bait bucket rule, and have vegetation off the boat and trailer. they realize you cant get every drop of water out of the boat and system. take reasonable care, follow the law and no problems.

i wish they had 100% inspections only at the boat landings affected but i'll take the 98%. doing nothing is not the answere. will this eliminate the critters and weeds? i dont think so, but it will help reduce, contain, and control these species. good luck.

And as for everyone claiming things are unconstitutional to stop us and check our boats and claiming they won't do it; would you say the same thing about the truckers that have to stop at weigh stations to ensure that they will not destroy the roads ahead with overweight loads or fall asleep at the wheel due to not resting for the required amounts of time. Its the same principal, and this one just happens to affect our natural resources rather than another persons life or the materials that we ourselves have laid down.

The whining is pathetic, and I would think that any reasonable, grown man who appreciates the sport and how awesome our resources are could suck it up and spend a few extra minutes to protect what you love. Seriously... put everything in perspective a little.

[simple1]

I agree Aaron. And the police should also randomly stop us to see if we recently sent a text, because it's against the law to do that also. Then the next set of stops should be DWI checks because drinking and driving is against the law. And lastly we should be pulled over for a seat belt check. Then everyone can be assured we are safe.

Simple1

[reinhard1]

the police or conservation officers do not make the laws. they are made at the capital. ask your representatives what their views are on this and vote accordingy. law enforcement simply carries them out. good luck.

[magnum mike]

I agree Aaron. And the police should also randomly stop us to see if we recently sent a text, because it's against the law to do that also. Then the next set of stops should be DWI checks because drinking and driving is against the law. And lastly we should be pulled over for a seat belt check. Then everyone can be assured we are safe.

Simple1

Now that's funny right there. It is so sad & true, it's funny. Well stated Simple

[Hockey Guy]

Wow Aaron… How’s that Kool-aid tasting? I’m not whining, I’m flat out complaining! Besides that you’re attempting to argue the ‘two wrongs make a right’ argument, you’re comparing apples to oranges. Trucking is a commercial business based on interstate commerce. Truckers from out of state don’t pay for the roads through taxes unless they purchase fuel in that state. The trucking regulations are in place to minimize the damage those commercial vehicles do to the roads. Not to mention that the truckers and trucking companies have a vested interest in maintaining the quality of those roads for obvious reasons. I could argue with you all day about how a truck driver working for themselves, or a private company, should NOT be regulated on how many hours of sleep they need to have in order to drive. I think it’s an excellent idea for the driver or private company to create those rules as company policy, but IMO it’s not the job of the state.

However, in this case, I am a private citizen, without any commercial interest, being forced against my will and without any probably cause to comply with my private property being searched. That is just my opinion on the legality of this issue. What I’m flat out complaining about is the time that these searches will take and the inconvenience it will cause me. Besides Reinhard1’s reply, and much appreciated due diligence, I have not seen any official DNR comment or posting stating the percentage of roadside checkpoints. Sorry Reinhard1, but I have no faith in a verbal comment made by someone over the phone. Aaron, you and I will never agree on this simply because we obviously have differing opinions on what we considered freedom and the amount of control we feel the government should have over our lives. You obviously don’t mind living under the rule of the ‘Nanny ‘ state and having every aspect of your life controlled and regulated. I am exactly the opposite.

Reinhard1 is exactly correct when he stated that the laws are created at the state level. I do feel that states have the right to create some of these nuisance laws as long as they don’t supersede the states constitution. In this case I feel that they are definitely stretching those boundaries, but as a state they are allowed a little more latitude. If this was the Federal government that enacted this I would really be up in arms! Simple1’s satirical comments are actually the direction we are headed. Especially if we all bite our tongue’s and quietly allow state laws like these to set precedence.

[simple1]

the police or conservation officers do not make the laws. they are made at the capital. ask your representatives what their views are on this and vote accordingy. law enforcement simply carries them out. good luck.

I agree to a point, but I'm sure this was a recommendation from the DNR to our reps as a way to stop invasive species. I just don't think it has any merit and they will not be able to compare results to any metrics. I hold no ill will against the officers. They, like most people do what there boss tell them too. And arguing with a CO when they are simply doing their job is the wrong time to complain. If anyone disagrees with a law or regulation you should contact your congressman or woman. It's also a good idea to call or email the DNR for clarification.

[Stick in Mud]

I dunno....it strikes me as a bit....premature...to get too worked up over this issue at this point. I understand the anger, but honestly, 1) how long will it be until this law is challenged in court?, or 2) how eager do you imagine CO's are going to be to pull over random vehicles? It strikes me as highly unlikely that they'll be backing up busy roadways on busy weekends to randomly check Joe Schmo and his boat. Maybe it'll happen, but I'll wait until it does to get angry about it.

I'm not going to use words like "fascist" until this issue actually plays out....and even then, I second Harvey's point about the huge number of people who do not comply with this law, and I can understand (though I may not agree with) the motivation behind the law.

[simple1]

I don't have an issue with them checking at boat ramps. I think that is a good idea, and I expect to see the DNR on lakes. I just think that stopping vehicles, even 1 on the highway is too far. And second I really don't believe this will do anything to stop the spread. But I agree that saying Fascist or Nazi is taking it too far. Im sure they all have the best intentions, but that does not mean I agree either. If they are going to hire 150 new people to do this they will pull boats over.

[Stick in Mud]

You raise a good point, spread. Will ANYTHING stop the spread of invasives? If the answer is no, then why do anything to try to stop it? If the answer is yes, then do all that you can (and all that is constitutionally legal). And if it's "only" going to slow the spread, then, welll, I don't know...

How can we feel certain about the outcomes of these laws? If we are willing to throw up our hands and say, "Well, the spread of invasives is inevitable," then I guess the implication is that we should do nothing about it. That seems....I don't know...unacceptable to me. What's the other option here, doing nothing? Or trying to do something? And then what should we do? I don't think there are any easy answers, and I'm sure most of them have flaws that some of us will be unhappy with...but I'm not going to go around calling people fascists because they're attempting to solve an issue that I think we all agree is problematic. Just my measly .02.

[simple1]

You raise a good point, spread. Will ANYTHING stop the spread of invasives? If the answer is no, then why do anything to try to stop it? If the answer is yes, then do all that you can (and all that is constitutionally legal). And if it's "only" going to slow the spread, then, welll, I don't know...

How can we feel certain about the outcomes of these laws? If we are willing to throw up our hands and say, "Well, the spread of invasives is inevitable," then I guess the implication is that we should do nothing about it. That seems....I don't know...unacceptable to me. What's the other option here, doing nothing? Or trying to do something? And then what should we do? I don't think there are any easy answers, and I'm sure most of them have flaws that some of us will be unhappy with...but I'm not going to go around calling people fascists because they're attempting to solve an issue that I think we all agree is problematic. Just my measly .02.

Agreed. And I never said Fascist or Nazi. The only issue I have, and its only my opinion, is I don't want to be stopped for simply pulling a boat. I am going to call my congressperson and see what they think about this law and how it was brought up. I would also like to here their opinion on stopping vehicles on the highway because they are pulling a boat.

Simple1

[Riverratpete]

Ok, maybe the use of the title Facist is extreme but if you read into this issue it was an 11th hour addition onto last years bills..slipped in with little or no discussion on the floor..whatever happened to transparency?. All who think this is a great idea and everyone else just have to sack up and go along with it just remember the old adage.."The road to hell is paved with good intentions". If your at all a reader or student of history you will understand that it all starts with small stuff until its out of control. Just look at the laws currently? there laws for laws, pretty soon the fishing rules book will be like the yellow pages. It seems the current idea about anything to do with natural resources is..throw a law at it, whether it's slot limits,invasive species,boat and watercraft usage,etc etc. This is really nothing more than a power grab..Control the resources..control the people..make them all criminals.