Outdoors Weekly News Archive

July 4, 2003

DNR reverses no-wake restrictions on St. Croix

Elk farmer innocent of game farm violation

LCMR jump starts Lake Christina project

Pawlenty presents clean water plans

By Patrick Howe
Associated Press Writer
ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) – Gov. Tim Pawlenty unveiled a plan last Tuesday that was aimed at cleaning Minnesota’s water by battling “silt, sewage and sludge.”

“Minnesota’s waters are our greatest natural resource, but they are stressed by overdevelopment, flooding, storm water runoff and increasing demand for drinking water,” Pawlenty said.

The plan is only the latest outdoors initiative by Pawlenty, who appears determined to forge an image as a conservative friendly to the environment.

There was cautious praise for the initiative from the environmental left. “He has to make it real, and not just words,” said Marie Zellar, state director of Clean Water Action Alliance.

Pawlenty’s remarks seemed more prepared and in-depth than most policy speeches he’s given. Rhetorical flourishes touched on Mark Twain’s romantic childhood visions of the Mississippi and the re-emergence of the Hexagenia mayfly, a species thriving in the river after a 30-year absence due to pollution.

The governor announced the formation of what he called a “clean water cabinet,” made up of commissioners from the departments of Agriculture, Health, Natural Resources and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. It will also include the executive director of the Board of Water and Soil Resources. Pawlenty said they will focus on developing a handful of projects in targeted regions of the state to improve water quality.

For example, Pawlenty said, in southeastern Minnesota, the initiative aims to make rivers such as the Cannon, Zumbro and Whitewater suitable for swimming within 10 years.

He also said he would direct the Department of Natural Resources to buy more land along the Mississippi River, improving public access to the waterway and cleaning beaches on its shore.

Pawlenty’s speech kicked off a conference about cleaning up Minnesota waters.

Greg Langmo, a poultry farmer from near Litchfield, liked what he heard.

Langmo said he’s convinced that simply getting diverse groups such as lake associations and farmers together and working toward the same clean water goals will help.

“We can make some unbelievable difference, there’s no doubt about it,” he said.

In an interview following the address, Pawlenty shrank from describing himself as an environmentalist. Instead, he calls himself a conservationist. He said he’s interested in improving the environment, but groups of environmentalists might not agree with all of his policies.

Many in those groups gave Pawlenty grudging praise for brokering a nuclear waste deal at the Legislature. Pawlenty demanded a greater focus on alternative energy from lawmakers in a bill that extended the storage limits for the Prairie Island Nuclear Plant.

Last Tuesday, Rep. Jean Wagenius, DFL-Minneapolis, said she listened to Pawlenty’s speech with some skepticism. She said the governor failed to provide leadership on some clean water issues in the legislative session, including a failed effort to limit phosphorus use.

Wagenius also said she was concerned about Pawlenty’s emphasis on pilot projects. “Does that mean some winners and a whole bunch of losers?” she asked.

DNR reverses no-wake restrictions on St. Croix

DNR Reports
Last Friday’s declaration of a “No Wake Zone” on the St. Croix River has been reversed, based on a revised forecast from the National Weather Service.

Due to heavy rainfall over much of central Minnesota last week, water levels in the St. Croix River were predicted to rise to the point where boaters would be required to slow down to minimize shoreline damage. The special restriction, authorized by state rules in both Minnesota and Wisconsin, is triggered when the level on the St. Croix reaches 683 feet above sea level at Stillwater.

Earlier forecasts predicted that the level of the lower St. Croix would exceed that trigger as of this afternoon and remain above that level until well into next week. However, the most current forecast is for a crest of 681.8 feet.

DNR River Management Supervisor Steve Johnson explained, “It takes quite a bit of staff time to post signs at all the boat landings and marinas, and to notify the law enforcement community and the media when putting a high-water no-wake rule into effect. We have to make that decision based on the best available information at the time.”

Officials from Wisconsin, Minnesota and the National Park Service posted signs regarding the slow no-wake requirement at all public accesses, and marina operators were notified. Those signs were removed.

The rule is aimed at reducing shoreline erosion and resulting property damage in areas not usually susceptible to wave action at lower water levels.

High water levels still mean that many islands in the St. Croix will be flooded and unusable for recreational purposes. Even without such restrictions, boaters are urged to slow down on the St. Croix River, Mississippi River and Minnesota River in order to minimize shoreline erosion and other property damage. Many area lakes also have risen to unusually high levels and may be susceptible to shoreline damage resulting from boat wakes.

Boat and water safety officials at the DNR also point out that rain-swollen streams often contain debris floating just below the surface that can pose serious hazards. Boaters should slow down and exercise extra caution in such conditions.

Elk farmer innocent of game farm violation

DNR Reports
Gary Tank, owner of Tank’s Fatal Attractor near Pillager, Minnesota, was recently adjudged not guilty of violating DNR’s game farm regulation.

Tank attracted the attention of a DNR conservation officer when he advertised elk for sale.

Tank had registered his elk and deer herds with the State Board of Animal Health under its tuberculosis herd registration procedure since 1999. He had complied with all of the regulations of the Board of Animal Health.

“I felt I had done everything I needed to do under the Board of Animal Health and not DNR,” said Mr. Tank.

DNR staff believed that Tank still needed a DNR game farm permit and issued Tank a criminal citation.

In a court trial in Walker, Minnesota, Attorney Bill Peterson of Bloomington appeared on behalf of Mr. Tank and argued that Tank had registered with the Board of Animal Health and was thereby exempt from DNR regulations.

Staff members of DNR and the Board of Animal Health testified at the trial that Tank had not completed an additional registration with the Board. Under cross examination by Attorney Peterson, the Board’s witness admitted that Mr. Tank was registered under the Board’s tuberculosis program but that he was supposed to also register his herd with the Board under an additional program. The witness acknowledged that the Board’s procedure and license numbering system had been confusing.

Tank had begun the additional Board registration process in the spring of 2002 but had not completed the required full inventory of the animals until December 22nd-one week after DNR had issued its criminal citation.

“This case is important,” said Attorney Peterson, “because it means that game farm operators should not be convicted for criminal violations of the DNR game farm permit law when they make good faith efforts to comply with the law.” Peterson pointed out that a conviction could have meant a fine, jail, confiscation of Tank’s herd, restitution to the State for the elk and deer on the farm and loss of license.

DNR and the Cass County Attorney have not indicated whether they intend to appeal the verdict.

LCMR jump starts Lake Christina project
Some good news for canvasback enthusiasts

At their June 25, 2003 meeting, the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCMR) approved a funding request that clears another hurdle for the reclamation of Lake Christina.

The LCMR approved a grant of $550,000 to Ducks Unlimited (DU) to improve wildlife habitat on shallow lakes, including $450,000 for reclamation work on Lake Christina.

Part of the reclamation plan includes eliminating undesirable fish in the lake – a very expensive proposition that will cost in excess of $600,000.

Partners are working to raise the required funds, but without the LCMR money, it was highly unlikely the project could have proceeded this year.

With the LCMR funds, and with assistance from DNR, the Christina/ Ina/Anka Lake Association, DU and private donors, partners believe adequate funds can be raised.

The famed canvasback lake, which straddles Douglas and Otter Tail counties near Ashby, Minnesota, once served as a stopover area for up to 20% of the continent’s canvasbacks.

The 4,000 acre shallow lake was rich in duck foods – especially sago pondweed, wild celery and chara. Infestations of exotic fish species – like carp – and other fish that can impair water quality had greatly diminished the lake for wildlife by the 1950s.

Two attempts since then to improve the lake have had good results, but within the last 15 years, problems have again arisen.

The Department of Natural Resources, with assistance from DU and many other partners, is implementing the plan to again improve the lake. Included in that plan is the construction of fish barriers on inlets to the lake.

There is currently an electric fish barrier at the outlet of Lake Christina, but fish can still re-enter via the as-yet-open inlets.

Ducks Unlimited, again working with funding from LCMR and in collaboration with DNR, the Christina/Ina/Anka Lake Association, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is currently constructing fish barriers or water control structures on four inlets.

This will better exclude re-entry by the undesirable fish, and also allow better water level management on key wetlands in the area.

Once in place – hopefully this fall – the undesirable fish will be eliminated, allowing the lake to recover.

Speaking on behalf of the project at the LCMR hearing were Tim Bremicker, DNR Wildlife Director, Ray Norrgard, DNR Wetland Wildlife Program Leader, and Tom Landwehr, Ducks Unlimited State Conservation Director. Bremicker noted this was one of the top 10 lakes in the state in terms of its significance to waterfowl, and reiterated its continental importance.

Norrgard laid out the plans for conducting a treatment this fall, and the expected recovery of aquatic plants and wildlife. Landwehr highlighted the cooperation and leverage being provided by the Habitat Corridors Partnership, and the many conservation successes the group has achieved recently.

The funding will be provided to DU, which will purchase the required chemicals; DNR will coordinate application and monitoring.

DU and DNR are partners in a statewide conservation initiative called the “Habitat Corridors Partnership” which had its inception in 2001 when LCMR approved more than $12 million of funding to 15 partners for various conservation projects.

The LCMR funding comes from the Environmental Trust Fund derived, in part, from sales of lottery tickets.

The Partnership has been working on several hundred projects across the state since then, and was recently awarded funding for Phase 2 of the initiative.

The Habitat Corridors Partnership is being coordinated by Matt Holland of Pheasants Forever.

Said Holland, “This is another example of the Habitat Corridors Partnership collaborating on a resource issue of statewide significance - and an excellent example of how more can get done as a result.”

He noted that more than 45,000 acres of habitat have been conserved since the Partnership was formed in 2001.

“In tight economic times like these,” he noted, “non-profits working side-by-side with government agencies is truly how things get done.”