New Law will be in effect for 2015 MN will require trailer decals for watercraft

[CraigP83]

This is ridiculous 

Check the link for more info:
http://trailers.mndnr.gov

[Smallie_Stalker]

Another wonderful example of "your Government at work for you."      And how much is THEIR idea going to cost YOU?

[Bud Kennedy]

Man Oh Man  ! ! !   Heck here in South Carolina we don't even require license plates on our boat trailers.  Our state tends to be very Red while up your way its seems to be very Blue.

[merc1997]

i see the wisdom of the program because of how invasive things are spread from one water to another just as the zebra mussel.  they have now been verified in table rock and bull shoals both. 

each of us should read up on how we spread unwanted items from one body of water to another.  they are easily transported on out trailers and livewells.

here on table rock, we do have very clear water, but we do have some river and creek arms that do contain stained to off color water, and the river rats love the colored water to fish.  what we are already seeing, is those off colored areas already showing signs of being clearer year round.  they are already attributing it to zebra mussels.

how do you think the assian carp are spread??  i really do not think any of us would want our favorite fishing waters overrun with them.  i have watched film of where they have taken over, and it is pretty ridiculous and would make navigation somewhat dangerous.

bo

[Donald Garner]

We have those invasive zebra mussel in Belton and Stillhouse Lake now.  Texas hasn't come up with anything like this yet.  They have posted signage at all the ramps and at the local sporting goods stores making everyone aware of the problem.

Right now all we have to do is wash and clean our trailers and boats down after departing the lake.

[earldogg]

Another wonderful example of "your Government at work for you."      And how much is THEIR idea going to cost YOU?

So true.

[Buzbait88]

Is the training a bad thing?  No probably not, but is it really going to change anything?  No probably not.  Everyone pretty much already knows about invasive species and their impact and most people still don't do anything about it.

[coldfront]

how about changing this up a bit:  what would you be willing to do as a boater/angler to keep salvinia out of your waterway?  quagga/zebra mussels?  any other undesirable nuisance specie?

Carp...

I know that it is illegal in my state to transport my boat with water in the livewell.  I have been inspected at the ramp in Iowa by DNR and have the 'sticker' on my trailer to prove it.

count me in a one who thinks that the numbers and govt reaction to zebras has been a bit over-blown.  Is it serious?  yes.

asian carp are, in my mind, a more serious threat...  but I take them all seriously.


and it's never bad to ask/require any angler/outdoorsman to learn/know more.  Heck, shouldn't we be one of th efirst groups to step forward on 'this' situation?

[Smallie_Stalker]

Without turning this into a political rant, I agree that anglers should be educated about invasives and do whatever they can to prevent their spread. What I am not in favor of is the government putting yet another REQUIREMENT on anglers. And most likely this will turn into a situation where you will have to pay every year or every so many years to keep your sticker current. If not now then eventually.

If they offer the courses for free and then issue the stickers for free, or even a small fee as long as it is a one time thing then I wouldn't have such a problem.

The second issue which I didn't see addressed was how they intend to enforce this. Are they going to be pulling boaters over and checking their boats and trailers?  Are they going to set up wash down stations at the lakes like they have in some states and charge a fee? Are they going to ticket you or prevent you from leaving if you don't wash down your boat and trailer?  Are anglers going to have to quit fishing an hour early because they have to allot for the extra time to wait in line to have their boat inspected or washed down so they can get home in time?

IMO it opens up a whole Pandora's Box of potential headaches and nightmares for a guy who's just trying to have a relaxing day on the water after a hard week of 9 to 5.

And how will this impact tournaments?

To me it's just another way of Uncle Sam regulating the average Joe's life. I for one am getting pretty sick and tired of it. IMO our lives are the waterways and big government is the invasive species that ever increasingly keeps finding it's way in.

The soap box has been put away now.

[coldfront]

those are all great questions.

just know I've watched the 'voluntary' part of this in play in Kansas..and frankly don't know if it's even slowed the advance of these things down.

now, are they undesirable invasives?  oh heck yes...  on the other hand... are they the 'thermonuclear problem' our govt puts them at?  that is an amazing political football in and of itself.

there's a great paper I read (from a researcher in Ohio) that looked at the costs of cleaning these things off intake surfaces...and the numbers get pretty big pretty fast.  What is  hard to get out of these papers, however, is not the TOTAL cost of the efforts...but how much MORE on top of what is already done as routine maintenance is needed.  The numbers, in that case, are a heck of a lot less.

but that's the way these 'accounting games' are played.


why can't we have calm, common sense conversations and workable, practical solutions any more?


In my area I can be ticketed for transporting a livewell full of water.  I think in MN you can be ticketed for transporting (failing to clean off) vegetation before leaving the body of water..the solution is simple....clean, drain and dry in the parking lot.

One area that is flat over-looked by everyone:  carpeted bunk boards.  if I wanted to design a better environment to transport veligers...not sure I could do so...but no one looks at it...we all turn a blind eye...  just saying, if we were really intending to be serious...even in a wash down station, you can't get to the interface of the bunkboards and the hull.

it's an interesting new world.

and yes, I bet you are correct that at some point, it becomes an 'income stream' for another govt entity.  From which they can hire more folks to prosecute/ticket...and grow it.  Just like most govt programs.

[baileyjs]

looks like this is being delayed!!

"The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will postpone the new aquatic invasive species training and trailer decal program that was due to launch at the end of the month while legislators consider changes to the program.
Under a law passed by the state Legislature in 2012, anyone trailering a boat or water-related equipment such as docks and lifts in Minnesota is required to take aquatic invasive species training and display a decal on their trailer. The effective date is July 1, 2015.
"With the legislative interest in this educational program and ongoing discussions about possible changes, we are postponing the launch until we see if the Legislature acts this session to modify the program," said Bob Meier, DNR assistant commissioner.
The DNR supports the education that would be provided under this law, but recognizes there are some concerns with the way the law is currently written. For example, people transporting boats on trailers through Minnesota to another destination are required to take the course and display a decal even if they don't put their boat in Minnesota waters.
Since the training and decal are currently not required until July 1, the DNR wants to remind people that there will be time to see what happens legislatively and still take the course and receive decals. The agency will post online any updates on trailers and alert the media if there are any program changes."

[Smallie_Stalker]

The DNR supports the education that would be provided under this law, but recognizes there are some concerns with the way the law is currently written. For example, people transporting boats on trailers through Minnesota to another destination are required to take the course and display a decal even if they don't put their boat in Minnesota waters.

What? That is insane. 

[Lee Smith]

Y'all shouldn't be catching and hurting them poor defenseless fish anyway.   

[Smallie_Stalker]

I personally think the fish want to be caught, especially in a tourney. After all, they swim around all day with their own scales.