Mille Lacs Lake Advisory Group - Update from Rep. Sondra Erickson - Mille Lacs Lake Fishing (Fishing Reports, Events, Tournament Information and more)

MCallies · Malmo Bay Bomber

Mille Lacs Lake Advisory Group - Update from Rep. Sondra Erickson

fishnpole · Veteran Member

Here's the results of the first meeting of the "Citizen's Advisory Committee":

"The committee did not tackle the larger questions surrounding Mille Lacs at length, but they heard reports from DNR staff about the walleye population specifics and helped set the foundation for what future meetings might look like.

Pereira told the members they were advisors to the DNR, and they would not be directly shaping policy. What the DNR actually decides may ruffle some of the committee's feathers, he acknowledged.

The committee did not have any Minnesota state legislators on it by design, Pereira said--the legislators had "their own venue" to speak out on the issue. The Minnesota Legislature's Mille Lacs walleye working group collapsed after only a handful of meetings earlier this year, with legislators and Gov. Mark Dayton blaming each other for the failure to put together government aid for those affected by the season closure.

Pereira said Thursday there had been "some consternation" over the fact the DNR had appointed the chair and vice chair of the public advisory committee. The DNR wants the committee to eventually pick its own leadership, he said, but it appointed leadership for the committee as a starting point.

The group has a number of ideas for future meeting topics besides the ice fishing season.

Suggestions included diversifying tourism on the lake, refining the DNR's messaging so that people understand other game fish populations are healthy, and inviting a Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe biologist to come to future meetings to get a better understanding of their harvesting operations on the lake."

So, how is this "committee" going to be any different than the old "input group", which had MORE business owners and guides on it, including the new "committee" members?

What's going to change?

(I pretty much understand how the Indians net.)

MCallies · Malmo Bay Bomber

Thanks Fishnpole,

Happy Tuesday! Thanks for this news.

It sounds like: 1 step forward, and then 2 steps backward.

Geezuz. I was trying to be positive but it looks like less influence than on the old input group.

take care, MM

Bobber · Admin / Moderator

I attended the first meeting...and it was forsure a "first" meeting. Most of the meeting was preparation for the future ones. They set up some ground rules, some bullets or discussion points for furture meetings. I'll give them accouple of meetings to get things flowing.

WE can not afford to not have a voice on this lake.

The Technical meeting with the bands and our dnr was scheduled for this week....hoping to hear the results of that discussion asap. The winter ice season depends on it

fishnpole · Veteran Member

I e-mailed Sondra yesterday and included my post from above.

>>> <tat2jonnie@gmail.com> 10/13/2015 10:42 AM >>>

Hi, Sondy,

I’m wondering if anything is being done legislatively to change anything here on Mille Lacs, any longer. There has been a lot of talk and promises made, but no results. The latest move by the MN DNR to involve a “Citizen’s Advisory Committee” has had their first meeting, which accomplished absolutely nothing and sounded like a defanged “Input Group” from years past.

Here is a recap of that meeting:

"The committee did not tackle the larger questions surrounding Mille Lacs at length, but they heard reports from DNR staff about the walleye population specifics and helped set the foundation for what future meetings might look like.

Pereira told the members they were advisors to the DNR, and they would not be directly shaping policy. What the DNR actually decides may ruffle some of the committee's feathers, he acknowledged.

So, how is this "committee" going to be any different than the old "input group", which had MORE business owners and guides on it, including the new "committee" members?

What's going to change?

(I pretty much understand how the Indians net.)

Your Supporter,

Jon Knudsen

Re: Mille Lacs Walleye Working Group

Jon, you are spot on in regard to what is going to change. I think the legislature will have to be much more involved to guide this problem created by the DNR. As far as legislation for the specific area, I am working on several ideas: enterprise zone, tax abatement, grants, abolishing private meetings for transparency, requiring press conferences after each tech meeting so we learn what was decided and what was discussed, etc. and the list goes on.

Give me any ideas you and others have so I can pursue those as well.

Sondy

Sondra Erickson

State Representative

District 15A

479 State Office Building

(651)296-6746

rep.sondra.erickson@house.mn

To subscribe to my email update, please go to: http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/join.asp?id=10168

"Like" me on Facebook www.facebook.com/RepSondraErickson

The committee did not have any Minnesota state legislators on it by design, Pereira said--the legislators had "their own venue" to speak out on the issue. The Minnesota Legislature's Mille Lacs walleye working group collapsed after only a handful of meetings earlier this year, with legislators and Gov. Mark Dayton blaming each other for the failure to put together government aid for those affected by the season closure.

Pereira said Thursday there had been "some consternation" over the fact the DNR had appointed the chair and vice chair of the public advisory committee. The DNR wants the committee to eventually pick its own leadership, he said, but it appointed leadership for the committee as a starting point.

The group has a number of ideas for future meeting topics besides the ice fishing season.

Suggestions included diversifying tourism on the lake, refining the DNR's messaging so that people understand other gamefish populations are healthy, and inviting a Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe biologist to come to future meetings to get a better understanding of their harvesting operations on the lake."
_____________________________________________________________________________

MCallies · Malmo Bay Bomber

Hello Fishermen, Supporters and Friends of Mille Lacs Lake!

A note of special thanks to Rep. Sondra Erickson for her honesty and reply to Fishnpole.

As she notes, the legislature MUST get much more involved and demonstrative to make any progress on this terrible problem created by the DNR and their misguided management!

This is going to be a tough battle for our Lake and Resorts!

MM

-- Edited by MCallies on Thursday 15th of October 2015 10:42:12 AM

Glen Ertl · Gray Goose Captain

Didn't our governor say at the Anoka Game Fair a few years back, that he didn't think it was right that some people could net a resource, because of their skin color and ethnic background and that he or his brother could not ? Didn't he say he would definitely challenge that "if" he got the vote's to become governor ? Confused ???