Dayton endorses initiative to fight Asian carp, other invasive species

Saying that invasive species are not a DFL problem, nor a Republican problem, nor an Independence Party problem, but a Minnesota problem, Gov. Mark Dayton Wednesday morning joined Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Tom Landwehr to support a legislative initiative that would raise $4 million annually to fight zebra mussels, Asian carp and Eurasian watermilfoil, among other unwanted critters and plants.

The money would come from increasing boat registration fees in Minnesota and boosting the cost of non-resident fishing licenses.

"Once it's too late, it's too late," to stop aquatic invasive species from taking over Minnesota lakes and rivers, Dayton said.

Zebra mussels were found in three additional inland lakes last year, including Minnetonka and Gull, two highly popular waterways visited by thousands of anglers and other boaters each summer. The mussels now infest 19 inland Minnesota lakes, as well as the Mississippi River, the St. Croix River, the Zumbro River and other waters.

Additionally, Eurasian watermilfoil invaded 14 additional lakes and rivers in the state last year, bringing the total statewide to 246.

Now the specter of thousands of Asian carp — the leaping silver subspecies in particular — dominating the Mississippi River from the Iowa border north to the Twin Cities, and perhaps beyond, is a major concern.

Dayton emphasized that his bonding budget includes $16 million to rebuild the Coon Rapids dam, which would be largely effective in keeping carp from swimming farther up the Mississippi to Lake Mille Lacs and beyond.

The bill carrying the proposal unveiled Wednesday by Dayton and the DNR is sponsored by Sen. Tom Saxhaug, DFL-Grand Rapids, and Rep. John Ward, DFL-Brainerd. The plan would authorize the DNR to provide more thorough watercraft inspections and enforcement, increase penalties for violations, and to require training and permitting for lake service providers.
"The attack of aquatic invasive species is one of the most critical problems now threatening our natural resources and our way of life," said Dayton. "We urgently need an immediate bipartisan commitment and the necessary funding to stop this invasion before it's too late."

But Republicans control both chambers of the Legislature and have said they won't endorse tax increases or fee hikes. Support for Saxhaug's and Ward's bill likely will be difficult to find among them.

"This is an extraordinary threat to our resources in Minnesota," Saxhaug said. "Republicans are in charge, and they'll have to find a way to fund it."

One way some Republicans favor to fight invasive species is using lottery funds. At Monday night's meeting of the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources, Rep. Denny McNamara, R-Hastings, and Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen, R-Alexandria, overruled some of the panel's funding recommendation and moved about $8 million over the next two years to what they argue are pressing natural resources threats, including chronic wasting disease in deer and invasive species.

But the lottery money couldn't be used as freely as legislatively appropriated funds. For instance, they couldn't pay for increased invasive-species enforcement, DNR enforcement director Jim Konrad said Wednesday.

Also, it's unclear exactly how the DNR would use money for invasive species control from lottery funds, if any is awarded.

What is known, Dayton said, is that a lot is at stake.

"Tourism and outdoor recreation on our state's many lakes and streams is a vital part of our economy," Dayton said. "We have 2 million anglers, spending more than $3 billion a year on everything from gear to gas. Anything that might damage our rich natural habitat and the recreational opportunities that make Minnesota unique is a very serious concern."