Becca Nash, the associate director of the Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center at the University of Minnesota, is moving on to work as director of the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).
Friday will be Nash's last day at the center. She has served as its associate director since it was created in 2012. Some of the center's work has been funded by LCCMR grants.
"We look forward to continuing to work with Becca in her new role,'' wrote Nick Phelps, her boss at the research center.
The LCCMR is a committee of legislators and citizens whose primary function is to make funding recommendations to the Minnesota Legislature for special environment and natural resource projects, primarily from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund. The commission recommends tens of millions of dollars in funding per year for projects it deems beneficial to the state.
Fisheries volunteers
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is accepting applications this month from citizens who want to join fisheries work groups as volunteers.
New members are needed for separate advisory groups dealing with bass, catfish, panfish, walleye and a fifth group focused on northern pike and muskellunge. The groups combine input from citizen volunteers and agency staff. They tackle a variety of issues and keep the DNR in touch with state anglers.
"Group members have valuable discussions about topics like fish habitat, bag limits, water quality, fishing's ties to local economies and angler trends," said Don Pereira, DNR fisheries chief.
Oct. 30 is the deadline for prospective volunteers to apply. Each group of about 15 people meets two or three times per year to discuss new research, population, harvest trends and fisheries management. Applicants for the two- or three-year terms must be Minnesota residents age 18 or older. For more information call the DNR at 651-259-5182.
