New DNR Boater Checkpoints!!

[Zmar]

Let's say you sit on a board of directors of a multi-billion corporation, the cfo/ceo report an outside foreign interest threatens your business. You have two choices to survive a.) Fight tooth and nail to counter the threat and use whatever resources/funds to insure future success. b.) Spin round and round on your swivel chair, cry, moan and b1tch until it happens.

News flash, fishing IS a multi-billion industry and you do sit on the board. You cry-babies are exactly why our lakes are doomed. Care or get off the water...period.

[Zmar]

My apologies, I have cooled down from reading the previous posts (including mine) I retract my "crybaby" insinuation and realize all facets of invasive species actions have many faces. We have a common bond in loving the many and varied waters that Minnesota is blessed with. They are under threat, and some form of mutual understanding has to be reached. I hope my knee-jerk mini-tirade was uncalled for and accept my contrition.

[Brian-Mn]

No need to apologize from my point of view. You said what you believe, and we each are entitled to our opinion.

What some folks seem to forget is they aren't making any more natural resources. When (not if) we destroy these then what will we do?

Now, if the people want to complain about all the costs they want to pass along to us, that might be a legit complaint in my mind. However, when they just want us to take some time to help them try to slow or control the issue.............

Is it really that hard to comply?

[Freewheeler]

Would be kinda nice to hear how the state will treat float planes that can hop from lake to lake uninspected. They too, like other things that fly, might be a contributing factor in all this. I hope they put more thought into their final plan, but at least there trying to do somthing. Lets hope they aren't trying to pin everything on the boaters at this point.

[Tip Up Rookie]

Good point on the float planes, waterfowl. How about a tax on barges that originally introduced the exotic species to our lakes to begin with?

This checkpoint idea infers that anyone pulling a boat is guilty until proven innocent, that is an idea I cannot get behind.

[Brian-Mn]

Good point on the float planes, waterfowl. How about a tax on barges that originally introduced the exotic species to our lakes to begin with?

This checkpoint idea infers that anyone pulling a boat is guilty until proven innocent, that is an idea I cannot get behind.

No, it only infers that we as a state have a AIS problem we need to attempt to solve. Everybody is free to rent boats or not even go boating if they are concern about being inspected. This is really a bunch of "the sky is falling" discussions anyway. There will be some inspections but I'm guessing 80% will never be inspected this summer anyway.

This is really as hard and harmless as going barbless when fishing in Canada.

[3andadog]

Wouldn't of been an issue if boaters would have cared enough to check their boats prior to now. This isn't happening just because the government wants to "steal" your freedom. This is the end result of I don't need to check my boat - it's the other guy.

Do you really think that invasive species are spreading like they are on the feet of birds and float planes? If so then you need to look at yourself as part of the problem. I haven't seen a lot of barges on Mille Lacs lately.

Any moron can whine about a problem, not many can come up with a constructive idea to fix that problem.

[overdalimit]

Got my decal and put it on the boat. I plan on towing to the lake early this year so most likely will not encounter any check points. I launch on our own ramp not a public access. Just finished scrubbing the hull from stem to stern and the plug has been out all winter.

[Musky Buck]

There's an issue, what about the masses that have their own ramps ? The plug thing is a bit weird to me some, no problem honoring that it's just I haven't had 1 drop of water come out of my boat after I've pulled it, it's bone dry in there, if anything I'd only be letting out rain water, but I understand, yes I pull it and have stripped the threads off a few, wish I worked for atwood lol.

[JIMBO55428]

inside of trailer frames that you cant see, or how about docks or lifts that are sold used and transfered from one lake to another. there is lots of work to do beside inspect boats!

[TruthWalleyes]

Lets just do what we can do. It's not costing anything except time, which we all have.

You must be one of those guys who doesn't pay taxes?!?!?

This is costing all of us tax payers money...and time.

[Brian-Mn]

Your logic is giving me a headache.

I'll bow out of this now. I'll let you convince everyone how important your time is.

[TruthWalleyes]

Taxpayer money....I can handle an inconvienence....but this is a waste of tax payer money.

[James_R]

It's disturbing to see so many sportsmen in MN willing to throw away their 4th amendment rights in the ignorant belief that such extreme measures will make the problem go away. Nobody cared at all 20-30 years ago when foreign ships were dumping their infested ballast water into Lake Superior but now you all seem excited in giving unlimited powers to the DNR to go after your fellow sportmen for the sake of a few weeds. I'm sorry to tell you guys this but most of the invasive species introduced to Mn will spread regardless of boaters and are here to stay. The DNR enjoys your irrational fears because it gives them more authority and bigger budgets. Mandated invasive species stickers required for our boats now? After reading some of the other comments on this thread it probably won't be too long before we'll all be required to tattoo "55mph" on our forheads in order to reduce speed related fatalities on our roads.

[reinhard1]

James, would you have been against the controlling of the sea lamprey in lake Superior? was that a waste of time? good luck.

[Finns]

Welcome to the site J_R. Great first post.

[thatoneguy]

It's disturbing to see so many sportsmen in MN willing to throw away their 4th amendment rights in the ignorant belief that such extreme measures will make the problem go away. Nobody cared at all 20-30 years ago when foreign ships were dumping their infested ballast water into Lake Superior but now you all seem excited in giving unlimited powers to the DNR to go after your fellow sportmen for the sake of a few weeds. I'm sorry to tell you guys this but most of the invasive species introduced to Mn will spread regardless of boaters and are here to stay. The DNR enjoys your irrational fears because it gives them more authority and bigger budgets. Mandated invasive species stickers required for our boats now? After reading some of the other comments on this thread it probably won't be too long before we'll all be required to tattoo "55mph" on our forheads in order to reduce speed related fatalities on our roads.

I can get you a great deal on a gently-used tinfoil helmet

[James_R]

You guys want to have MN hire hundreds of additional state employees, purchase expensive mobile pressure washing units and utilize our already over-burdened law enforcement resources to herd decent people through checkpoints and I'm the crazy one? I think most of us here clean our boats and respect bag limits on our own through either conservation ideals or peer pressure. We have a lot of great fishing and hunting in this state and believe it or not; most of this bounty comes from nature and conservation minded sportsman and isn't the result of the heavy handed DNR policies of our state.