outdoors

There's no doubt Minnesota's budget is in crisis. But now the state's 860,000 boaters might help close that $1.2 billion deficit.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty's supplemental budget calls for $1.2 million to be taken from the state's Water Recreation Account -- funds generated by boat registration and other boater fees -- and put in the general fund.

The diversion apparently is unprecedented.

"It's a serious precedent, but it's a serious situation we're in," said Bob Meier, the Department of Natural Resource's legislative director. "It's not like we're happy about it. But we're running out of options. Other states are doing the same thing."

The $1.2 million included $862,000 that was pegged for a new whitewater park on the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis, public boat landing improvements on Lake Sarah in Hennepin County, and canoe and boating route management on the Red River and the Sauk and Otter Tail rivers.

Another $340,000 was to pay for DNR electronic licensing system costs.

Originally the supplemental budget also tapped $400,000 from the ATV account and $267,000 from the snowmobile account. That sparked outrage by the ATV Association of Minnesota. "Setting this precedent is dangerous ... because it could lead to further raiding of our dedicated money," the group said.

But state officials said the snowmobile and ATV inclusion was a mistake, and they removed it from the budget proposal. The boating dollars remain.

The Minnesota Deer Hunters Association, which is pushing for legislation this year to increase fines and restitution for deer poachers, is collecting signatures on petitions to show legislators that hunters themselves support stiffer poaching penalties.

The group will have the petitions at this year's Minnesota Deer Classic at the State Fairgrounds March 12-14, along with shed antlers from the monster 8-point buck allegedly poached last year in Goodhue County. The buck would have been the highest-scoring 8-point whitetail ever registered by Pope and Young or Boone and Crockett.

The group collected about 140 signatures at the recent Duluth Deer Classic.

"We've had a great response from people," said Mark Johnson, MDHA executive director.

Johnson said antler poaching -- the killing of bucks just for their antlers -- is on the rise, and penalties aren't harsh enough. Currently deer poachers face a $500 fine and $500 restitution per poached deer. If the deer antlers score 130 or greater, it is considered a trophy and restitution may be doubled. Still, that means a total fine of $1,500, sometimes for a rack worth far more than that.

The deer hunters group wants the minimum restitution changed to $1,001, making it a gross misdemeanor. Johnson suggests a graduated scale, dramatically increasing restitution from $4,000 for a typical rack that scored 120 to 139 7/8th -- up to $25,000 for a typical rack that scored 200 or more.

The group says a similar scale also should be imposed for trophy elk, moose and bear that are poached.

While DNR officials have said they won't propose a fishing license fee increase this year, state Sen. Satveer Chaudhary, DFL-Fridley, said he will.

"I'm tentatively looking at a $4 increase in 2011 and another $4 in 2015," Chaudhary said. He'd like to direct the additional money to three areas: 1) All kids 17 and under would fish for free. 2) A "rational amount" of the increase would go to fish stocking. 3) Some of the funds would be used to increase reimbursement to license agents. Currently they get $1 per license. "I don't think that has been raised in about two decades," Chaudhary said. The Legislature would have to approve the increase.

A bill will be heard Monday that would repeal a controversial definition of "protect, enhance and restore" in the Legacy Amendment. The definition passed last session despite opposition from some conservation groups, which said the definition distorted the intent of the amendment.

The DNR could offer a sandhill crane hunt in far northwestern Minnesota, if the idea clears several hurdles.

All three flyways would have to OK the plan, said the DNR's Bill Penning. A hunting season likely would only occur in the current Northwest Goose Zone. A separate license or permit likely would be required. Penning said he's not sure if a hunt could happen this fall.

• The DNR is expected to announce a new fisheries chief this week.

• Officials are investigating a case of 21 northerns found thrown in a ditch near Blackduck.

• A string of fish house break-ins near Henning was solved with the capture of suspects and recovery of much of the stolen property. A dive team was scheduled to recover fishing rods that were dropped down a hole in the ice.

• The walleye and perch bite on Lake Mille Lacs has been slow.

Doug Smith • dsmith@startribune.com