AIS Decal Law Repealed

[Hamitupguy]

Just announced today, 05/04/2012, the law requiring boats to display the Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Rules decal has been repealed. This means that boaters no longer need the AIS decal on their boat.

[benbosh]

Perfect timing.. just put it on the boat today. Oh well, its staying on and I'm going fishing tomorrow.

[blindlemon]

http://news.dnr.state.mn.us/2012/05/04/a...ly-1/#more-8706

link to the press release.

[harvey lee]

Also means double the fines and an online course for weeds.

I was fine with my decal but now we will have to take an online course so we do not have to have the AIS decal. Not much if anything gained at all.

What a total waste of close to a million dollars for the AIS decals and now one can throw them away. The we will print up a new batch of AIS decals for the online requirments. This is now out of control.

[Scott K]

+1. I had a problem with it from the start. I dont know how this law ever even looked good on paper. It is just so wrong in so many ways.

[herefish101]

This should be on the Open Water page as well, I think more would see it there. Oh Yeah! Awesome!I hated this law.

[harvey lee]

You will more than likely hate even more all the new laws that will take effect in the upcoming years. Any money says that when they realize noone is taking the online test, a fine will be added to get people to comply. It will only get worse.

[Hookey]

Hmmmmmmm maybe they read all those posts that stated a sticker was a waste of time and would do nothing ?

Now we have a sticker and a test to pass in order to get the sticker.....

Gee maybe we need take tests in order to purchase a fishing or hunting license ? Laws change every year we should be required to pass a test to prove we understand the laws. Right ?

So while we are having to take tests in order to earn a sticker to place on our boat so we can fish after having paid all of the taxes and fees required by the state it makes me wonder why those who vote them in do not have to provide a form of I.D.

Sorry to vent but agreed more laws for the legal. They pay the illegal skate.

[harvey lee]

I agree and it is going to only get worse. Sad deal for all. They need to find a solution to kill off all the AIS and I am sure that is close to impossible without hurting the other species of fish in the lakes and rivers.

[efgh]

It is sure funny how quick the legis. can pass a law like this. They can not agree on anything else and have to go into extra sessions.

[wyonative]

did they decide to raise the licsense fee before or after they realized that the sticker was a mistake???? too bad we dont do like a carpenter does measure twice cut once!!!!!!!!!!!

[reinhard1]

my understanding is that none of the resident fishing licence fees goes to the AIS program, but $5 of the non-resident licence does. the fees for the new licence fees dont go into effect till next year. good luck.

[wyonative]

either way its a shame that it wasnt thought through better. This is a tough pill to swallow and bad PR like this certainly doesnt help.

[RebelSS]

What bugs me is all of our money spent to develop and initiate this, then print all the stickers and distribute them...

[Scott K]

What bugs me is they didnt learn anything from it, and are just going to do it all over again.

[Geiber]

Those stickers were the biggest joke ever. I tried to get mine right away in March and they didn't have them yet. I called the DNR and sme crabby lady said they werent being enforced untill 2013, then my dad was at the courthouse a week ago (not sure for what) they had the decals and they said they would be enforcing them this summer, so he got some and I put them on 4 days ago. I put 2 on the trailer, and 1 on the back of the boat. Haha, and now afte all of this fuss they just go and repeal the whole law, are you kidding me! Serously people just take the plug out, check for weeds/mussels, don't go lake hopping, and drain them buckets, it is not that hard.