Copyright 2000 Star Tribune
Star Tribune
(Minneapolis, MN)
May 21, 2000, Sunday, Metro Edition
SECTION: SPORTS; Pg. 15C
LENGTH: 1390 words
HEADLINE:
OUTDOORS ALMANAC;
New laws will affect all outdoors enthusiasts
BODY:
From Staff Reports
More walleye stocking. More
conservation officers. Improved wildlife habitat.
The recently completed Minnesota
legislative session passed a laundry list of laws that will affect nearly all
outdoor enthusiasts. Here's what happened:
.
Hunting-fishing
fees
Beginning March 1, 2001, an
individual fishing license will increase $2 from
$15 to $17, a small game hunting license will
increase $2 from $14 to $16,
and a deer license will increase $3 from $22
to $25. The extra money will pay for improving state wildlife
management areas, installing new lake aeration systems, and increasing
assistance to farmers suffering crop depredations from geese and deer.
"For too long, hunting and fishing license fees
hadn't kept pace with inflation and, as a result, Minnesota's wildlife and
fisheries management programs were suffering," said DNR Commissioner Allen
Garber. "This is a much-needed boost to those programs and the fish and wildlife
populations and habitats they conserve."
.
Lottery tax money
Some $25 million annually
from the 6.5 percent tax paid on state lottery tickets will be diverted to
conservation, habitat and the environment. Half the money will
go to the DNR's Game and Fish Fund;; the rest will go to parks, trails and the
state's three zoos.
"It doesn't solve all
of our budget problems," said DNR Deputy Commissioner Steve Morse, "but it
really gets us out of the hole we've been in. We can start looking at all the
things we can do instead of all the things we couldn't do."
The funding means that new
conservation officers will be trained and wildlife and
fisheries workers hired to fill vacant positions. Funding will also means
restoration of some habitat programs and the return of year-round camping in all
state parks. Beginning 2002, a portion of the money will be used to reimburse
counties for taxes on public hunting lands.
DNR
Commissioner Allen Garber said that over the next several weeks the agency will
meet with employees, stakeholders and legislators to develop a detailed plan for
spending the new funds.
"We'll be emphasizing
field work throughout the state to improve and protect fish and wildlife
habitat," Garber said.
.
Con-Con lands
The fate of 260,000 acres of Consolidated
Conservation (Con-Con) Lands in seven northwestern counties has
been determined. About half the land was designated state forests and half as
wildlife management areas. Another 100,000 acres designated as wildlife
management areas by then-retiring DNR Commissioner Joe Alexander in 1991 must
still go through the legislative process to legally determine their permanent
fate.
.
State wolf plan OKed
A wolf management plan was approved that
could lead to the state assuming control from the federal government of the
wolf. The plan divides the state into two zones. In Zone A, which covers the
northeast and north-central regions, the plan provides continued protection for
wolves. In Zone B, which covers the remainder of the state, the plan allows
property owners to protect domestic animals, livestock and pets from wolf
attacks by shooting wolves who pose a threat. They are allowed to shoot wolves
only on property that they own, manage or lease. Property owners may also
contract with a certified predator controller, who may trap wolves within a
one-mile radius.
"This law does not take
effect until wolves are removed from the Federal Endangered Species list," said
Mike DonCarlos, DNR wolf specialist.
De-listing
of wolves has been delayed while the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service waited for
Minnesota to approve a wolf management plan. That de-listing process is expected
to proceed, but is likely to face court challenges.
.
Fishing
tournaments cut
Fishing tournaments will
be restricted. A law will limit the number of tournaments held on lakes and
ensure that there will be no permitted tournaments at least two weekends each
month on lakes less than 55,000 acres. The legislation also requires permits for
open-water tournaments with more than 30 participants.
"This new legislation will reduce some of
that constant pressure and will allow us, through the permitting system, to
ensure that tournaments aren't unduly affecting non-tournament anglers, boaters,
and other water users," said Ron Payer, DNR Fisheries Section chief.
.
Bonding projects
A state bonding
bill includes more than $36 million for natural resources
projects as building construction and maintenance, flood damage reduction,
forest roads and bridges, state trails, and the RIM (Reinvest in Minnesota)
habitat and Prairie Bank programs.
Among
highlights of the bill are $14 million for flood damage
reduction in the Red River Valley, $1 million for maintenance
on forest roads and bridges, $3.4 million for state trial
projects, $3 million for two new state recreation areas and
$4 million for a new public access on Lake Minnetonka at Gray's
Bay.
The Big Bog recreation area on Red
Lake in Beltrami County and the Red River Valley recreation area in East Grand
Forks will provide visitors with environmental education as well as a
recreational options such as camping, hiking, fishing and picnicking.
.
Disabled hunting permits
Special
deer hunting permits for disabled hunters will be much tougher to come by
beginning next year, ending the abuse of those permits by hunters without
serious disabilities. The main change: Hunters will have to be more severely
disabled _ and be permanently disabled _ to receive a permit. Previously,
temporarily disabled hunters could obtain permits. Only a small fraction of the
10,000 to 14,000 hunters with disability permits are likely to qualify under the
new guidelines. A false application by a person or doctor is a misdemeanor.
Those with permits will be able to use snowmobiles or ATVs on Wildlife
Management Areas.
.
Other legislative action
Lifetime
hunting and fishing licenses will be available for residents beginning March 1.
The cost is based on the person's age. Nonresidents can buy lifetime licenses
beginning in 2002.
People with mental retardation or related condition
can obtain a hunting license under certain conditions, but must be accompanies
and assisted by a parent, guardian or another adult when hunting. The person
also must possess a valid firearms safety certificate.
Lighted fishing
lures are allowed, but spotlights and other lights used to attract fish are not.
The limit for yellow perch was reduced from 100 to 20 daily with a
possession limit of 50 from Dec. 1, 2000 to Dec. 1, 2001.
A two-deer
license (one by firearm, one by archery) will be available for 2001 and 2002 in
Kittson, Lake of the Woods, Marshall, Pennington and Roseau counties.
Residents will be able to buy a $66 permit that allows
them to take one buck by firearms, archery or muzzleloader during a season.
The DNR will receive a one-time $500,000 for an
accelerated walleye stocking program.
Trappers will only be required to
wear blaze orange during the firearms deer season, and won't be required to wear
it while on water.
The DNR received $4 million from the
general fund to repay the legal fees for Chippewa bands in the 1837 treaty case
won by the bands.
A special drawing will allocate 20 percent of moose
licenses to people who have applied at least 10 times for the limited number of
licenses without success.
.
Did
you know?
The DNR is installing an electronic licensing system in the
Lao Community Center in St. Paul to cater to the high number of Southeast Asians
who hunt and fish. An estimated 75 to 80 percent of the state's 125,000
Southeast Asians hunt or fish.
The Conservation and Reinvestment
Act (CARA), which would provide $3 billion yearly for
15 years for conservation and outdoor recreation, easily passed
the U.S. House May 11. The money would come from off-shore oil and gas leases.
The Senate still must approve the measure.
The In-Fisherman Professional
Walleye Trail will hold its Pinnacle Central Pro-Am on Lake of the Woods from
May 31-June 2. Practice days begin this Friday. The top 30 anglers in each
division will split $225,000 in cash and merchandise.
LOAD-DATE: May 22, 2000
