outdoors

The DNR and State Gov. is wasting time trying to stop the inevitable. Rather than all that gibberish, look ahead and see what can be done to minimize their impact once they are present. You are wasting our time, your time and our money. Fess up with the stakeholders and lake shore owners. Its time for an adult conversation rather than lip service.

benton284. I agree 100%. If the DNR is telling us that spending this kind of time and money will only slow down, but not stop, invasive species migration then we need to be spending our money and intellectual resources more wisely today. Forget about inspections, sanitizing, and raising taxes to support programs that will not be effective. Instead, spend the time and money doing research on methods of population control.

Do we have to buy space suits, like the one in the photo? Are weeds a bio - hazard now? Talk about taking everything to the tenth degree.

"At current spending, the invasive species account will go into the red,'' said Luke Skinner, DNR invasive species program supervisor. "That's why we're looking for long-term funding sources." ---- Rational people will not provide what you want (legislators). The invasive species are unstoppable. That is known from our own DNR. Change is inevitable and everyone must accept it. Please stop wasting money!

How about making the shipping industry pay for it. They are the ones who brought it here in the first place.

Typical DNR. We need to keep finding more money for more jobs. When is the DNR going to make an effort at stopping invasive species at the border....crickets chirping.... How is that ballast water treatment going? Made an effort to stop the Asian Carp coming up river? Oh ya we are suing another state for being as unresponsive as we are....

Those who play should pay. Get caught transporting an invasive species: 1st time fine $1,000, 2nd time $3,000, 3rd time confiscation of boat, motor and trailer.

"I'm optimistic we can do some things to slow the spread [of invasives],'' Hirsch said. "I don't think we'll be able to totally stop the spread, but I think we can do better.'' ---- Being optimistic is one thing. Spending millions of taxpayer dollars only in the hope of slowing down these aquatic nuisance species is another. Minnesotans need to face the reality of ANS. They are here and eradicating or even slowing down the spread of them is nearly impossible. In spite of all the well intentioned efforts and money spent peeing into the wind.

"I'm optimistic we can do some things to slow the spread [of invasives],'' Hirsch said. "I don't think we'll be able to totally stop the spread, but I think we can do better.''----So, at least we all agree that millions, or even billions will not STOP the spread, or end them all together. So why would we wizz these said millions into the wind to prolong the inevitable just to make some lake shore owners feel fuzzy and warm inside? This makes no sense at all. Spending some of the money we are now, on research of what other parts of the country/world are doing to ADAPT to the inevatable seems to make much more sense but there's nothing common about common sense. Especially in Gov't.

We go boating all of the time in many different lakes. We check and double check our boat when we retrieve it to ensure we get everything off. Why can others not do the same? If you are not doing it you should be fined and those fines should go to help pay for the cleanup of the waters. If you get fined more than once you should not have boating rights any more. Be responsible!