AIS laws

[harvey lee]

There has been alot of questioning about the new AIS laws and how some of the laws are a bit unfriendly to the sportsmen and women.

I have talked with my State Legislature, Glenn Greunhagen, Glencoe, MN. and he asked me to write up a proposal as far as what part of the laws fisherman or other watercraft users would like to see changed for the law to be a bit more user friendly.

If any of you would like to see something changed in the current law that you believe is less than user friendly or something that simply does not make much sense but is a pain for the watercraft owner, please shoot me a e-mail and let me know along with the statue number for that part of the law.

I am not doing this to try and stop the current AIS program but to simply try and make this a more usuable and fairer law for the watercraft owners.

Please reply to [email protected]

If you belong to a sportsman club or group, maybe at a next meeting you could discuss what some of the laws are that could be changed so it is more user friendly for all concerned.

Going to try and see what we can do to make this a better law and something the watercraft owners can live with a bit better and a set of laws a bit fairer.

Gotta be worth a shot.

Feel free to discuss any part of the current law below and we will see what if anything we can possibly propose to be changed in a final proposal I will write up and present to my Rep that he will propose to the legislature next winter.

Once I have a list of all the items in question, then I would like to have all sign an online petition. My rep says that will go a longs ways when this is discussed.

[PurpleFloyd]

First off the transferring water for bait that is not in a livewell should be thrown out. First off the burden of proof that it ever happens is so hard to establish that it seems nearly impossible to prosecute unless they are watching every boat from the time they drive into the launch until they leave.

[Scott K]

Stop limiting accesses/ time you can use the accesses

Stop letting citizens police landings

Stop pulling people over for no other reason then they are pulling a boat, and they want to inspect to see if you are doing something wrong, so they can write you a ticket.

If your bait is in a separate cooler/bait station, that cant draw in lake water, make it so you cant get a ticket for it.

I guess for right now, those are the ones that bother me the most. I could add more, but I think those are reasonable to abolish.

[DTro]

Stop roadside checks and throw out ridiculous bait water transfer law.

Thanks and Good luck

[cheddar 86]

The "law" rule regarding water in the boat is not clear. People are getting told to sponge out their boats, while there is not documentation saying that you have to do that to comply. Essentially take a dump or get off the pot - tell us we have to with specifics, or don't allow people enforcing the laws to make things up as they go along.

[GooBack]

Change the plug law to making it mandatory that you remove your plug on the request of a certified inspector. We should not be facing citations for trailering a boat with a plug in...even when the hull is bone dry.

[GooBack]

The "law" rule regarding water in the boat is not clear. People are getting told to sponge out their boats, while there is not documentation saying that you have to do that to comply. Essentially take a dump or get off the pot - tell us we have to with specifics, or don't allow people enforcing the laws to make things up as they go along.

This as well!!! Laws aren't meant to be left to the discretion of the enforcement.

And clarification as to whether inspectors can enter you boat, or if they are just allowed to look over the gunwhale. The law reads "visually and tactiley" regarding inspections...what exactly does that mean.

[20lbSloughShark]

My main issue is the cost of a ticket. $30-$50 would be better for invasive plants, and $150-$200 would be better for invasive species. I don't like any law that you have to drain water. Its in the boat isn't it? How would it ever get in a lake (livewell is the exeption)?

[eagle_3464]

Thanks for taking the initiative on this harvey. In regards to the current regulations, at what distance is it defined as transporting water? I live less than 1 block from a busy access and I would bet more than 70% of the boats are still draining water as they pass my house. And a fair amount of those are still draining water at a stop sign 3/4 mile from the lake. After loading, how many of us trim our motors all the way down to drain prior to placing them in the trailering position? I know mine will drain more than a cup full when trimmed down. I'm sure most of us have good intentions but at what point are those intentions not enough? The extent of sponging residual water is a bit ridiculus.

[fishgutz77]

Random stops with out any cause is out of hand! this all has to take place at an access!

unless there ar clear visual signs of a violation. ie; plug in or weeds.

do not impead my loading or launching my boat, make visual inspections on your own and and let me go about my business. you are interfering with my pursuit of happiness.

Also peoople have routines for launching, interfering unless there are clear signs of violations should be avoided. for safety reasons.

designate areas at large accesses for these types of things. Staging and Loading.

Only CO's can write warnings or issue tickets. citizen weed patrols stay out of the way.

I live on a lake and am concerned about all invasives but the window for control is gone, long ago. Start pushing for the ballast water in superior to be treated or all is lost anyway.

[Down Deep]

Eliminate roadside stops.

Eliminate the need to put the plug in at the waterline and specify in the law that the plug can be put in on the ramp during launch prep.

Eliminate the internet test instead require AIS information to be handed out at the point of license purchase.

Require that the DNR simplify printed material and eliminate the ambiguity in enforcement explanations.

Prohibit local governments or lake associations to police a ramp without a vote by an elective body with the authority to regulate.

Keep the summer intern program, but use the interns for informational purposes at boat landings.

Keep the live bait rules.

Lower the fines for first offenders.

[Jameson]

Develop a way so that the boater who uses one body of water, and only one body of water can skip some rules. Something like registering a boat to the body of water.

Designate waters two ways, infested and not. Allow us to register our boats somehow to each designation.

If we are going to have to continue draining our bait water, make it so we don't have to buy as much bait by allowing us to use panfish as bait.

[Kyhl]

I wrote my congress woman last night suggesting rewording MN Statute 84D.105 Sub. 2. (d) by removing the clause "or in proximity to location," from the law.

Explaining that the DNR is using this to perform random roadside checks and it would be better if they focused on actual points of entry for AIS, like at landings.

I wanted to add an example of what the DNR considers "in proximity" but was not able to complete my research at the time.

I found this, two weeks ago they set up a random stop on Hwy 72 17 miles south of Baudette. I looked at my map, there isn't really any fishable water around there that I could see. So they were targeting boaters returning from Lake of The Woods.

17 miles is in proximity? Give me an effin break.

That may even require a follow up letter.

[amateurfishing]

my concerns related to the big picture of all of this is the state/DNR has no consistency on any enforcement and tons of ambiguity in the written word.

i have been at a local lake a handful of times with mille foil....someone was out there the first holiday weekend this year for post boating "inspections" and have not seen anyone back since, where is the constency in that? one long weekend just to inform ppl? absolutely worthless especially when the parking lot has been full the last 3 weeks.

....& the only place any law officer should have the legal right to detain someone is immediately at the landing right b4 pulling onto a road to leave. if they attempt to fine someone, they cannot prove u missed something unless your next move is to hit the road, and once a person is on the road, the burden of proof of any water, etc is on the state to prove it is lake water and not rain water etc (just like the traffic light business that was overturned by state supreme court) which would make roadside checks worthless/unconstitutional.

as for live bait, if the live bait is in any separate container other than a boat livewell it shoud be able to be kept, no official can prove it is acually lake water in the bait container, this especially tru during ice fishing season. when i get minnows at c store, i always use frabil portable bucket, if i only use half my minnows, im not throwing rest out just because law says, im keepin em till next weekend of ice fishing, especially when u can holdem for a month with no issues in garage fridge in same water.

Thx so much Harvey, if i can do anything to help, plz let me know

[chasineyes]

Quote:

I found this, two weeks ago they set up a random stop on Hwy 72 17 miles south of Baudette. I looked at my map, there isn't really any fishable water around there that I could see. So they were targeting boaters returning from Lake of The Woods.

Here is the beauty of their logic...If you are from the metro or rochester or mankato etc..and you were up there fishing LOW and got caught, you have 2 choices. 1) Take a day off work, use vacation/no pay and go up to the county and fight it. or 2) PAY IT and move on. It's kind of a win win for the DNR cuz they know very few will opt to drive 300 miles to fight a ticket. I'm guessing you would have to fight it in the county courthouse where the infraction took place.

[dfv87]

ANY RANDOM STOPS should be removed, as this is unconstitutional. I am PRESUMED INNOCENT of any crime and should not be required to prove I am innocent. If a CO sees me leave the lake with weeds and water/plug still in then fine he can pull me over but if I am moving my boat from storage to my house and get stopped that is WRONG!

Bait rules are a joke as many guys dump their bait back in the lake which is worse!

Specific rules that are enforced about water in boat, how much is too much as other have said. I am not wiping out my livewell with a sponge and clorox wipe everytime.

[magnum mike]

[i wanted to add an example of what the DNR considers "in proximity" but was not able to complete my research at the time.

I found this, two weeks ago they set up a random stop on Hwy 72 17 miles south of Baudette. I looked at my map, there isn't really any fishable water around there that I could see. So they were targeting boaters returning from Lake of The Woods.

17 miles is in proximity? Give me an effin break.

That may even require a follow up letter.

[Riverratpete]

For DNR Invasive species Inspectors, an uphill battle

At least someone is finally being honest about the real deal with the inspections, etc...it's all about the money and cabin owners taxation..sorry but if you invested in vacation property and didn't make a ton of money when you went to sell because some weed or snail got in there, well thats a you problem not me problem..win some you lose some.

[chad austin]

I live less than 1 block from a busy access and I would bet more than 70% of the boats are still draining water as they pass my house. And a fair amount of those are still draining water at a stop sign 3/4 mile from the lake. After loading, how many of us trim our motors all the way down to drain prior to placing them in the trailering position? I know mine will drain more than a cup full when trimmed down. I'm sure most of us have good intentions but at what point are those intentions not enough? The extent of sponging residual water is a bit ridiculous.

And what about I/O motors that don't drain all of the water that is in the engine block when traveling? Is an I/O owner required to completely drain down all the water in their engine? Can/will this be enforced?

[chasineyes]

Quote:

Agency officials say about 20 percent of boaters they check are in violation of laws aimed at preventing invasive species. That means boats where owners have failed to pull plugs, drained water or removed weeds

This is from a story in yesterdays news. Funny how 2 months ago almost 80% were in violation. Alot must have changed in 60 days...