Last Updated: 01/17/11
Here are a few recommendations
which Kelly TerWisscha, Greg Roverud, Ron Schneider and Terry Frazee have
discussed.
Decontamination equipment in the vicinity of each infested lake; ideally at least one decontamination station at each infested lake. It is estimated that there are no less than 24 infested lakes.
Decontamination equipment could be acquired by the state either through a fee system (e.g. $50 each time a water craft enters infested waters) or through a state contract with private operators. (There are upwards of 900,000 powered watercraft in the state; a biennial A.I.S. fee of $50 could generate $45 million dollars. This is $15 million per year, if it were all spent on containment of infested lakes and protection of the most popular lakes, we would have robust budget.
Trained, specially-equipped decontamination personnel, who can properly handle high pressure 250 psi washers, 140 degree F water tempertures and do inspections.
All boats and trailers leaving ZM-infested waters in the state shall have a green seal/tag which is obtained at official fishing license facilities. This seal/tag will be known as a Watercraft Inspection/Decontamination (W.I.D._ wire seal/tag that is placed between the boat and the trailer to document inspections and decontaminations.
This program will require certified inspections with authority to do thorough inspections; deny the right to take water craft from lake accesses; require decontamination; and conduct inspections at the state's borders. Just because the craft is pressure washed does not mean it is decontaminated so you need washing inspectors.
Contaminated bodies should be prioritized so that resources are allocated on the basis of risk posed by "super-spreader" lakes. those bodies which are deemed most threatening will receive the greatest security.
Each lake access shall have a facility for draining water from trailer, watercraft and motors; receptacles for disposal of A.I.S., bait and other objects which may be infested.
Public education and awareness material to be provided at accesses and at facilities where green seals are sold. This material to be more detailed than the currently used brochure "Zap the Zebra", and provide information concerning the green seal and decontamination facilities.
Severe penalties, including confiscation of boats and trailers, when appropriate, for moving a water craft from access areas in infested waters without certified decontamination.
Monitor boat ingress and egress with video cameras or bar-code readers (the law would require coded boat registration plates).
Decontamination stations must have cameras or bar code readers to show what vessels have been decontaminated. This would allow inspectors to identify boats which have been in infested water but not decontaminated.
Funds obtained, whether from tax dollars or fees to be dedicated so that DNR cannot access them. This function might be given to a quasi-independent state entity such as the Board of Water and Soil Resources.
A statutory directive will dictate how funds are to be spent, whether on enforcement, education, construction, maintenance, equipment, personnel training, etc. The DNR should not enjoy the arbitrary power which it now has.
Fishing contests would be regulated by the Board of Water and Soil Resources. A moratorium on fishing contests on those lakes with names beginning with letters A - J would be imposed in the year 2011 and all odd numbered years thereafter. Those lakes with names beginning with letters K - Z would be subject to a moratorium on fishing contests in 2012 and all even-numbered years thereafter.
As an alternative to proposal # 14, fishing tournaments regulations would require that the tournament industry fully finance the cost of monitoring both pre-fishing and fishing contests. No boat could enter the contest lakes without full decontamination and none could depart without full decontamination and inspection.
Because there is a direct correlation between zebra mussel infestation in lakes and exposure to fishing tournaments, there should be a three-year moratorium on competitive fishing on the 20 most popular non-infested tournament lakes beginning in spring, 2011. After 3 years there should be an evaluation of the effectiveness of the moratorium.
An estimate of the cost of the proposed program ranges from $5 million to $10 million. These factors influence the annual cost:
decontamination equipment at 24 infested lakes: 50 unites at $25,000 each = $1,250,000
180 inspectors at the 24 infested lakes: each earning $30/hour, with benefits for six months = $5,616,000
video cameras and/or bar code scanners at 50 decontamination sites on the 24 infested lakes @$2,000 per camera or code reader = $100,000
motor vehicles for inspector use; 90 vehicles @ $17,500 per unit = $1,530,000
operating and maintenance costs, 24 lakes, 50 sites, 90 vehicles = $200,000
retention facilities for debris
at launch sites = $75,000
Total Cost = $8,771,000