Spot checks for invasives turning up violations

[BLACKJACK]

http://www.startribune.com/sports/outdoors/162814366.html

From the StarTrib. What I really like is the last part from the article -

"Three warnings were issued for transporting water. In at least one of those cases, the boaters had pulled the plug on their livewell, but all the water hadn't drained out.

"They made the effort," said Lt. Pat Znadja, but should have used a sponge to remove the rest of the water."

What the puck???!! So if I have say 10 sunfish in my livewell, leave the lake, pull my boat plug and my live well plug, leaving the fish in the livewell, I need to take a towel and dry all the fish off??

How stupid is that??!!

[TruthWalleyes]

Makes me glad i removed my livewell when i remodeled the boat this spring!

At least they can't see the water under my floor boards...

[Jameson]

If the general public (us) have to do everything they think we have to do to slow the spread of AIS we don't stand a chance. There is no way we (the general public) are going to think of/remember to do all the stuff the tell us we NEED to do.

Here is the training video for the decontaminators (word??):

[bd477]

All I got to say is two words.....revenue generation.

[slabz]

You know I think that the watercraft inspection program is a good thing but i do agree that they are taking it just a too little far. There is no possible way to drain every drop of water from a boat. The STOP of aquatic invasives will never happen but if we drain as much water as possible and clean as many weeds as we can it will slow the spread greatly, you are always going to have people that just dont give a rip out there and thats just way the it is going to be. Just my two cents..

[James_R]

I miss the days when all the DNR wanted to know was how many fish we had in possession. It seems like the DNR can get MN sportsmen to support any of their proposals no matter how ludicrous just by mentioning the word "conservation". I wish the sportsman in our state would show some backbone and support some terms like constitution, limited government and fiscal responsibility.

[cheddar 86]

I have documentation (email) from the director of the Watercraft Inspection Coordinator at the MN DNR on a similar issue regarding water remaining in a boat after pulling the plug and have been told that you have to pull the plug and drain most of the water out. There is no specific amount defined by law that can/cannot remain in a boat.

I would take this to court if I was the person who got cited. This LT is making it up as he goes along.

[BrdHunter01]

All I got to say is two words.....revenue generation.

I think it all started because the DNR was going to get sued by Lake Associations. You can thank the lake associations for this one!

[fishnowworknever]

This would be going straight to court if it were me who got ticketed for water in the boat even though the plug was pulled.

What if it had rained for 5 minutes 10 miles down the road after you pulled the boat out

What if you pulled up next to a sprinkler that was spraying into the street at a stop light and it sprayed into your boat(has happened to me)

What if a water bottle tipped over in the boat

[Scott K]

What if it rained?

[Gordie]

What if it rained?

Exactly...Speaking of rain isn't at invasive also?

[SkunkedAgain]

I wish the sportsman in our state would show some backbone and support some terms like constitution, limited government and fiscal responsibility.

There are those that believe that our natural resources trump all your personal rights. I wish that more sportsmen would show some backbone to stand up for the environment than their own personal interests. It's much easier to care about yourself than others.

[James_R]

Skunk, Not everyone is willing to give up their hard fought freedoms in exchange for weed prevention. You seem to put a really low value on your rights. America was founded upon individual rights not environmentalism and natural resource collectivism. Perhaps you can start "caring" about other taxpayers by not supporting these money wasting measures which empty our collective wallets.

[Raider4ever]

Glad I made my livewell an extra storage space this year.

[rumeye]

"Skunk, Not everyone is willing to give up their hard fought freedoms in exchange for weed prevention. You seem to put a really low value on your rights. America was founded upon individual rights not environmentalism and natural resource collectivism. Perhaps you can start "caring" about other taxpayers by not supporting these money wasting measures which empty our collective wallets." Well said Skunk I am with you 100%

[wkngmomof2]

We have an old Alum Crestliner with the bench seats and the holes in the middle for the water to run thru and go out the back - there is no way we will ever get all of the water out - even with sponges..... I talked to the person at Lake Minnewashta the other day and they said 3 ounces of water will get you a ticket....

[Tator2k]

Same place, may or may not have been same guy, at Minnwashta told me it, they could fine for 2 teaspoons of water.

[SkunkedAgain]

Skunk, Not everyone is willing to give up their hard fought freedoms in exchange for weed prevention. You seem to put a really low value on your rights. America was founded upon individual rights not environmentalism and natural resource collectivism. Perhaps you can start "caring" about other taxpayers by not supporting these money wasting measures which empty our collective wallets.

James R, if life were as simple as you like to make it out in your statements then I'd be tempted to agree. However, this isn't weed prevention. Weed prevention is something that you do on your lawn. This is about reducing the impacts of man-made changes to the environment.

You can assert that I put a low value on rights, and you're absolutely wrong. I just don't put any of our "rights" above our natural resources. That seems completely backwards. If I take your line of thinking as gospel, we might as well just pave over the forests. It's my right as an American! Yee-haw!! Hold on, I'm dumping my garbage into the river. It's my right! Gimme a break.

This nation is an afterthought to the world that existed before it. So we plopped down our flag and wrote a bunch of laws. It doesn't give us the right to destroy the land it was founded upon. In fact, I think that it charges us with the responsibility of keeping it as beautiful and natural as possible for your kids, my kids, and everyone elses for generations to come.

If limiting our impact on the environment is a waste of taxpayer dollars...I can't imagine what you believe is a better use.

[reinhard1]

that's the way i look at it also. good luck.

[traveler]

X 3. With rights come responsibility.

[SalmonSlayer]

X 3. With rights come responsibility.

How about putting the responsibility to PROVE the water I'm transporting contains invasives on the DNR? For all we know Suzie soccer mom is transporting zebras in what appears to be a bottle of Fiji in her cup holder. Can't prove that it isn't infected, fine, fine, fine!

[ANYFISH2]

Skunked nice post!

Hey guy's, The person/persons in the artical did NOT get cited, they got a warning(educated). I am amazed how facts get twisted and how assumtions become facts so quickly in AIS threads!

That being said, I will never sponge out my livewell before leaving the access! Absurd.

I would like to see the wording of this law again, I can't remember anything more than essentially pulling all plugs and draining water before leaving, I don't remember any amound allowable min or max.

If anyone has a link to the law could you please post it.

[wkngmomof2]

Not exactly the law but it's a starting point for information

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/preventspread.html

http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/invasives/q_and_a_drain_plug_law_20110609.pdf

[James_R]

So government force acting on behalf of the all encompassing banner of environmentalism is more important than individual rights? That's a very dangerous line of thinking very far removed from our founder’s vision. You talk about the laws of our country not meaning much when compared to our natural resources but your side has never had any qualms about using the law to your own advantage to get your way. We can talk about the merits of teaspoons of liquid in livewells and sponge water but that's really just one of the many negative byproducts of this whole earth first movement many of you espouse. To make the claim that the rest of us will pollute every square inch of land we can get to is just another tactic used by the left to grow government. Myself and all my neighbors take care of our property and have never had to "destroy the land" as you put it. I'm pretty sure the DNR sold their AIS scheme to the public as aquatic weed prevention or stopping the spread and not "limiting our impact on the environment" as you put it.

[TruthWalleyes]

James R, if life were as simple as you like to make it out in your statements then I'd be tempted to agree. However, this isn't weed prevention. Weed prevention is something that you do on your lawn. This is about reducing the impacts of man-made changes to the environment.

You can assert that I put a low value on rights, and you're absolutely wrong. I just don't put any of our "rights" above our natural resources. That seems completely backwards. If I take your line of thinking as gospel, we might as well just pave over the forests. It's my right as an American! Yee-haw!! Hold on, I'm dumping my garbage into the river. It's my right! Gimme a break.

This nation is an afterthought to the world that existed before it. So we plopped down our flag and wrote a bunch of laws. It doesn't give us the right to destroy the land it was founded upon. In fact, I think that it charges us with the responsibility of keeping it as beautiful and natural as possible for your kids, my kids, and everyone elses for generations to come.

If limiting our impact on the environment is a waste of taxpayer dollars...I can't imagine what you believe is a better use.

Yeah, lakes with clear water and healthy populations of weeds are just terrible on the eyesight!! Ya'll are crazy if you really feel that these invasives are destroying anything besides someone's lawn watering pump intake.