(00:00:00) The arrival of spring if you can call this spring means the return of all kinds of outdoor recreational activities camping fishing hiking around in the state parks boating and so on almost all these activities fall in one way or another under the purview of the Department of Natural Resources. And today's guest is the man in charge of the DNR Joe Alexander commissioner. Welcome. Nice to have you thanks, Bob don't like to start out casting a Pall over things. But the fact the matter is that a man who contributed a lot to conservation in the state of Minnesota passed away recently. Well, yes, I think most everyone in this state who is interested in conservation or the preservation of wetlands are the management of wildlife noted with a great deal of sadness at Bob Farms a stalwart in our department for a number of years over 30 in the mid-30s at he Workforce and Bob passed away over the weekend. He had retired about four years ago, but had kept active in fact until recently. I was receiving advice and counsel from him and sometimes nipping me a little bit when he thought the decisions were wrong, but I think you'll go down in the history of our department is as one of the greats. I think you'll go down with people like dick door and others we're going to miss him and I'm sure the people up in Bemidji who have worked so closely with him certainly will miss him. It's last stations were in Northwestern Minnesota. That's where he did most of his work and certainly has made an impact. All right, we have had a little bit of quite a bit of precipitation at least in the southern part of the state. Is that pretty well taken care of the forest fire danger. Yes this there's nothing helps any more than a than a wet snow would like we've had at least for a day or two. We can't call this the end of the problem, but for the next day or two anyway, the occurrence of fires within the metro area and this sport wherever this snow reach to certainly going to be diminish and if we get a little moisture to follow it up and then some Greening to take place in a fire season will be in most places be a thing of History this spring but if it turns warm and dry again it'll their results last a day or two, at least it'll give us a break One of the things going on at the legislature was the passage of the lottery and least that will appear on the ballot this fall and along with that another constitutional question on an environmental trust fund. What's your views on that? Well, this has been a long tough fight Governor perpich has has pounded the state from one end of the other and crisscross did and what a lot of us, but I think that his dedication to this fund has been outstanding Willard Monger all said that they had similar ideas not the same bill, but they got together and we finally came out of that with a and environmental trust fund that will be funded by the proceeds of a lottery if the lottery passes in the general election next fall. It took a lot of work and a lot of compromising. I don't think the bill is what anyone who started out with would have would have preferred. Of course. It had perverted a very clean straight out bill, but that's something you never get that takes a lot of it takes a lot of jockeying and compromising to get things but the the build-out now Governor purpose I think is Support of what has happened. He was not completely happy with it. But he has been in that game a long time Willard Munger 33 years. He knows that you compromise but we do have for the first time and environmental trust fund and if the lottery goes through 50% of the money derived from that Lottery at least for five years will go into that trust fund and I think one of the most far-reaching pieces of legislation that has ever been passed in the state. I think that it's something that everyone who had anything at all to do with it can be extremely proud of Joe Alexander commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources is with us today. And if you have a question for him, our phone number in the Twin Cities is 2276 thousand 2276 thousand in the Minneapolis st. Paul area elsewhere within the state of Minnesota one 865 2970018 hundred six, five two nine seven zero zero. Is there somebody already waiting? I believe Soul go ahead, please you're on the air with Joe Alexander. (00:03:56) I think one of your best ways of getting your message across as with that volunteer magazine and in an office setting it was one thing we never had to throw away because people would find articles and they would take it with them. My question is regarding backyard reserves because I saw an article in the Star Tribune some months ago and where I live close to south field with the 70 acre park across the street in the slough next door. We have pheasants and rabbits and squirrels have let the back part grow up. But is there any Clearinghouse for information for people as to what kind of plants that attract wildlife and then one other concern is licenses for seniors on fixed income both for Game and Fish and what's the current status of the (00:04:57) Well, let's let me take the last one first. That's cause it's a little bit of problem when the the reason that we ever suggested a senior citizen license to be paid for was it we get a great deal of our money from license sales from from matching funds from from federal government under in Dingle Johnson. Money's been fishing, excuse me in the fishing field and pittman-robertson and hunting and by selling a license to a sooner we get a great deal of matching Federal money and we went to the scene of the state and said those of you who are able we would like to be able to sell you a license at least at the minimum cost that we could probably possibly sell it to you for to qualify for license to be able to get to Federal Aid that came out four dollars and so the bill was passed and what we have in that bill is a provision that if any senior is not able to for some reason or other very quietly. They may they may apply to us and get the refund of the four dollars that they that they paid for the license are feeling on this goes beyond senior citizens. I would hate to see Anyone in the state deprived of a chance to fish because of some economic concerns that they could not or that they could not afford a license what regardless of the situation that caused that so I think we've got that straightened out pretty well seniors by a license for four dollars. If they're in some financial problems are can't afford it. They can they can apply for a refund and get get the license refund any idea over the course of the time. This has been in effect how many people have actually applied for that refund? Yeah, we're running close to 10,000 people now that there has been a great deal of encouragement by license sellers to apply for it. We're trying to tell the people if you're not if you really don't need the money we're trying to explain to them what the money is used for and I tried to explain to a gentleman the other day there that senior citizens are are heavy users of such facilities as public fishing piers that we're putting out. Those are costly they can run anywhere from 50 to 60 thousand dollars up to two hundred two hundred thousand or more. And that that is money that comes from and in some cases is augmented by the fishing licenses and it's the extras that we do and if we get money we were able to do some of the extras if not, we're able to keep the store open and keep things going as usual without getting into some of the extras. So we're encouraging the senior citizens to take a look at it. If they don't need it if they don't need to have a refund if it's not given him any particular problem. We'd like to assure them that that money is dedicated right back to the sport that they have purchased a license for any fee increases coming out of this legislative session that we no no. No, I'll get back to this other question that he asked about about planning for wildlife and that gets in another thing we talked about briefly just ahead. The best place to call is our non-game office and I did not bring that number with me. I should have and that is the one that's commonly called the chickity check off and the information on attracting Wildlife is available through that office and I'm going to give you my number I'll get in trouble with the people answered. There before this day is over, but that's alright. We can transfer your very quickly and don't get angry with one transfer but ask if you call it called me at two nine six six 591 and you won't get me personally, but tell them the office that you want that you want to non-game office and you want to find out about planting a cover for wildlife or plants that will attract wildlife and somebody in that office will give you all the material you need and if you get them started they may even talk to you more than you want to hear their they love what they're doing. How's the non-game Wildlife Fund doing? Excellent. It's one of the best things that that the citizens of the state of ever gotten involved with we started out with a bang we started out pretty well, even the first year of it. And now we'll be over $800,000. I think that share that's a good prediction at new tax laws. Haven't heard us a lot and all of you who have filed. I hope that you did take a little chunkier refund or some donation toward the non-game fun. And if you didn't have those of you are going to file for a delay or an extension for filing when you do file it put a put a Suction there, whatever you decide you'd like to for the non-game fund that money is put into a special fund that every dime of it. In fact more than every dime of it really gets into the non-game you so when I say more than that, we have so many volunteers that help us that we don't have to pay for that. The money uses is used for some supervision, but the mileage that we get out of it as far in excess of the money that is donated the in our commissioner. Joe Alexander is here and you have a question for him. Go ahead, please. (00:09:20) Yes, what are your plans for the Elk herd in Minnesota? And do you think that having a hunting season on a heard that small as it is biologically sound management (00:09:30) the plans are the elk season at now the provisions for the Elk season in the managing that heard is pretty well in legislative control. Now, we have agreed to manage that her dad about a level of about 20 animals and by law we have to keep it at about that level biologically. Yes, if if if you have a heard of anything, but if it's Chickens or cows or whatever. It just depends on the numbers that you have. If you have if you're raising any number of animals and Elk if they if they raise five and they continue to raise five and you keep your breeding stock in good shape and you replace those with younger animals and that's what you plan and you get and five is the heard that you want and you have seven it's biologically sound to take two of them. So that's that's what we're looking at. We're not trying to destroy the heard. We had to keep them. We do have to keep them at the numbers that we agreed on the ledge with the legislature on if somewhere around the 20 now. These are the Arctic has so much trouble up in Northwestern Minnesota. We haven't heard a lot about them in the news lately. What's the well in the reason we haven't heard much as a settlement came through the legislature that at provided for the season to keep them to keep the numbers from from getting as large as they once were how many were up there one time. Well, if you go back I'll go back to the largest number we had around 400 at one time years ago that dwindle down and there's been times when it's been down to 12 or 14 animals when The latest controversy came up. We were hovering around 35 40 animals somewhere like that. They're kind of hard to count. We'll split up into small groups and you can count five one place and 12 another and sometimes those move and you keep counting them over again people that see them and they get some some large numbers but our good Ariel counts and things like that indicated that we got a 35 or 40 animals and I and they did on the side of the farmers who complained L can do a tremendous amount of damage to a row crops and there was some concern there's something had to be done there had to be some balance when you're when you're producing wildlife and it's damaging crops are so there's something that has to be done. Some balance has to be arrived at and that's what has taken such a long. Excruciating period of time of trying to catch some trying to move them trying to compensate. I don't think the plans perfect but it's it's something that we can work with. All right, we've got another person with a question. Hello, you're on with Joe (00:11:51) Alexander. Thank you. I've been interested in the Minnesota protection of the Timber Wolf. I think the timber wolf is a real symbol of our commitment to preserving Wilderness of Minnesota and lately. I've understood that the Minnesota DNR has sent a lobbyist to Washington to attempt to change the Endangered Species Act in order to get a hunting season on the wolf, which it seems to me would really threaten our small population. I wonder if the commission would come in on that. (00:12:16) Well, first of all the lobbyists had we sent down we were asked to send a representative of the department on to testify on a bill that would have modified The Endangered Species Act to have to have allowed some some sport taking of timber wolves and a very restricted conditions such as they did on the grizzly bear in the alligator and a few other things that that were endangered and we sent our director fish and wildlife down. Dr. Larry. Then went down to two to testify on the bill and all we did on the testifying is just represented the wolf plan that had been agreed to by the federal government several years ago same plan that we've always had and what was in that plan was that that when the wolf population got to certain number and I started getting into into real heavy depredation claims that that instead of Permitting Trappers to go in and our permit situation and take tools that we would allow up to about 50 wolves a year to be to be taken by by Sports shopping. And there was we had a couple of things in mind is trying to get some respect back for the animal we had to go through the same thing with a lot of a lot of animals that had no protection for years and even had mounties on them such as a bear in the timber wolf is in that category and we believe that the state of Minnesota could very well managed that heard or whatever you call it. The Timberwolves the population of Timberwolves and with a with a limited amount of taking that that would not That would not be in addition to those animals at that are now being taken under permit, but would be a part of that permit system and what allows the use of the pelts there are a lot of timber wolves getting wasted in the state. That's I think that some of the things that the people who are protecting wolves don't realize that the numbers that are gettin getting shot now on turkey farm sheep farms and cattle farms and around those places and are just left there to lay not to with with no Salvage whatsoever for sports use or whatever. The numbers are getting pretty large. We don't we don't get a lot of complaints now people are taking care of their own problems. And that's the sort of the thing when you're trying to manage anything that the that you have to take into account as those that are getting killed accidentally on purpose. We know it's there. We know it's there and that our plan hasn't changed the testifying that we did was not for opening up season on Timberwolves. It's it was just representing the planets been accepted for a number of years by the federal government on the wolf recovery plan. Where's that legislation stand then? Well, I don't think it's going to get changed. On I don't see it. We didn't think it was when we went down there. We didn't see any changes in but basically we appeared so I don't think an answer to the question if they are anticipating any changes in The Endangered Species Act. I don't see any of that coming. Okay, Joe Alexander, the commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources is with us and we have telephone lines available. If you'd like to call and ask him a question about state parks or any of the other many many things at the DNR has jurisdiction over two two seven six thousand is our phone number in the Twin Cities area and outside the metropolitan area one 865 to 9700 minerals is always an interesting topic the DNR has jurisdiction over minerals what's going on with with mineral leasing mineral exploration all of that sort of thing right now what we're doing and shoot me a little bit better on the the taconite industry seems to be stabilizing a little bit more. I talked to our minerals director yesterday and there's some percentages in the tonnage and stuff that are coming up now are getting Back toward much less than it was in its Heyday, but somewhat of a stable maybe stable production. I think what you're hearing more about now than anything else is the expiration leases for precious metals gold silver titanium things like that. And there's a great deal of interest in the state. We're looking at the same type of formation and extension the same formations that they have and Ontario and there's no reason to there's no reason not to believe that that there isn't some go formations in this state that will be marketable and I would guess would be now of gold was up at the price at once was but with it hovering on the 450 $54 Mark whatever it is right now. It isn't feasible right now to do that. But one of these days not too distant future, we believe in our minerals people believe that there will be a gold strike of a significant nature in the state, which doesn't mean we're all going to get our donkeys and go to UConn or anything like that. It means that that it's going to be a very scientific extraction of Pressure of metal that that that will get up to the percentages in the formations that will allow them to do that and and will will be okay but it's not it's it's not going to cause a great girl crush. Hmm. Yeah, a lot of people on the line with questions now, let's get someone the are. Hello, you're on with Joe Alexander. (00:16:55) Hello. Say mr. Sharon, the Minneapolis paper the outdoor writer did an article about a year or so ago regarding the changes in the funding status of the DNR and where it was. It has become such a self-sustaining entity with the fishing and hunting license fees, but the perpetrator ministration is hooked on to that and it's sucking funds off of the DNR funds for the general fund. Also the charge out rates that Skippy Humphrey is charging the DNR for work being so much higher than any other group that in the state government he charges for I wonder if you would be able in this political atmosphere to be candid about what the situation is. I'll hang up and listen. Thanks. (00:17:45) Oh, yes. I don't mind being candid about anything that you call in and ask about the first of all Governor purpose has never sucked any funds away from the game and fish swims and DNR can't do it. They're dedicated monies dedicated by legislative act. There's I don't remember what it was. There are some things that that are always questionable when we spend money on something that doesn't work out and then we get labeled with wasting money, but I can't recall what that was about but there are other funds in the department that switch back and forth Park fees are some of those are dedicated and and we get in a trust fund monies on forestry and things like that, but I think generally when people when you hear the outdoor writer such as Ron schara Dennis Anderson, and those people who write are generally referring to a game and fish monies when they talk about monies and those are very very dedicated any person in this state who wants to come down right in or anything else and And out where those monies are going how many we how much we collected and what we did with them very definitely can do that. I have I have never worked for a boss and I've worked for several. It has been any more supportive of DNR activities and Governor purpose. Shh. In fact, he can he can get about as angry about somebody messing around with the environment in the state as anyone that I've ever known and he doesn't doesn't hang around for much of that. He doesn't doesn't permit it. So I have no problem with with making those statements the fees that we charge our that are being charged by being charged by the Attorney General's office. I were also authorized by the legislature to somewhat higher rate than others and it I think because in one case I know of or maybe a an example of cases it that it we're not just filling out forms and Game and Fish matters and doing the usual type of office work that that can take place in some attorney's office. They are a complicated courtroom type cases that we are dealing with in most in most cases and cannot be done just with an administrative attorney. They have to be by trial lawyers and would probably justify somewhat higher rate than just the ordinary administrative law fees very briefly. What are the types of cases that you're involved in the wind up in court. Oh getting into water drainage has water drainage acts things like our when I say action, I mean legislative acts acts of dreams that people have committed syrup for we first have to win the case that they've done it. Illegally then we have to go through some sort of a restoration of wetlands. Those are very common in our department. Okay? Yeah, things like that and then getting them to Game and Fish matters that one large taking of an of large numbers of animals being taken where there's a peel routes and so forth. It takes Court time it it's not something that's just done through a through the administrative process. Okay. It's about half past the hour and we'll move on to your question, please for commissioning Alexander. Hi there. (00:20:38) Joe I know this is an imaginary mathematical ratio, but they as income from crops has gone down our Farmers seem to be planting more land cutting closer to the fence rows. I remember walking through some of those great fencerows out in Southwestern Minnesota. There'd be 10 or 15 feet on each fence row side, which you'd walk through and he gets scare up roosters and now they're right up to the fence itself has anything I know it's a digression and you don't feel it's very important. But boy, it seems to me that just a little effort in that area or or publicity would do something. I remember those great times back in the 50s and maybe those are gone forever. But this pencil Theory I don't think is a bad one. I like to hear your comments. (00:21:30) First of all, you were mistaken on one of your statements. I do care a great deal about that is extremely important to me and The sound of what you're talking about you go back about like I do when I started in the state of hunting pheasants on fence rows and if you notice the fence rows as you as you have noticed the centrioles are gone at the farmers did that a long long time ago when they got big equipment they couldn't couldn't get up to close to the fence. And as a result of that we had fencerows. We are aware that we are aware of the planning up close to ditches the lack of cover realm reinvest in Minnesota was the was the first attempt a couple of years ago. Now it's been in over two years to to take that into account and to get some of that land back into some production of nesting cover and habitat and it has worked very well the sign up sunroom have have been good and I think this trust fund of dresses the same sort of thing of funding Graham and and making habitat more available. I don't believe that we'll ever get back to the fence rows that mean planning fences. I mean building fences in the farmers aren't going to do that, but I do believe that I think some nesting cover back watching our bird starts back again like you and I probably can remember the birds coming out of ditches railroad tracks things like that where they did have some cover. We're well on our way back this the storms early in the winter set us back. Somewhat will have to wait till the till we start listening to her the cooling counts and various other things to find out what has happened to us, but we're well on our way back to some pheasants and with rim and the trust fund and a few other things, I think that we both live long enough to see some pheasants again. All right, let's move on to another question for Joe Alexander how you're on with him. Go ahead, please. (00:23:14) I'm one of those people that has applied for a bear license for this Fallen. Hope to be lucky to get out there at a question on that. I noticed that in other states and provinces. They have a spring season for beer and I was wondering if Minnesota's given any thought to that it might spread out enjoyment of the woods and this sort of thing people a little more in the spring especially hunters and what if you could comment on that (00:23:38) again somebody that's asked a little while ago. If I'd be candid I would be one commissioner to have a very difficult time of trying to take on a spring bear season. I've had a great deal of difficulty with a bear season the way at the way it stands right now is trying to get some sort of a balance between the people who believe we're taking too many bear hunter the present situation and to people at think we're taking too few and want to put in various methods of taking bear that I object to I think the the idea of taking bear wouldn't be any different in the spring and you can take about the same numbers, but the The public acceptance of it and the legislative reaction to proposing a spring bear season when the when the Cubs are small more vulnerable various things that we get into on taking any site of a sort of an animal might just result in no bear season at all fall or spring and so when your commissioner you have to start balancing those those things that can happen to you and sometimes you try to make the best out of what you have and what you're able to work with without going for the hall ball whole ball of wax and losing it all any idea. How many people are actually going to get a beer license versus those who have forgotten what the numbers are II I can't recall but we're we have a good bear population and we deputation claims on bear are our up. The population isn't in any trouble. So here's odds are reasonably he's going to get a bear fees fees patient enough if he gets a license, you'll get any more than likely get a bear. All right. All right. Let's take your question for Joe Alexander now. Hello there. (00:25:08) I want to know about water level specifically. Wasn't no damn put in and it was the water with low and the dam was has been raised apparently by the DNR and I want to know why because it affects the people with points and that sort of thing. Well, we have a point and I'm like, (00:25:34) okay, what about the water? We can't first of all we can't raise a level of a lake Beyond its established level if it has an established level we can't do that without going through a long difficult procedure of a hearing of all the land owners around the lake if it was down some for over a period of years and some restoration took place that brought it up and still do not bring it up above its established level. There's hi. There may be some some things that we can do to mitigate the losses that people might have but I think that's one thing that landowners are only should look at to see whether or not the lake does have. First of all if it has an ordinary High established and whether or not there's a lake level established. Many cases ever bolus if there's been an ordinary high and there's been something established, but we could not put in a structure that would raise the lake artificially above its ordinary high. So I think that if you want to drop me a note of some sort and just indicate what it is you're looking for I could give you the history of what you're talking about necessary get someone out to talk to you. I'm at 500 Lafayette just Joe Alexander 500 Lafayette 55100455155 st. Paul and I'll get it explain briefly what you what you want and or what you're talking about and I certainly will give you an answer. All right, we will move on to your question for Joe Alexander. Hello. He's (00:26:53) listening. Hello. Mr. Alexander. I just want to say that I am very proud of Minnesota DNR and I know that you're the Envy of many other states. But it have a question and that is what is the DNR doing as far as controlling motor boat traffic on small rivers where they're touring the bank out and also controlling motorboats where they're interfering with nesting waterfowl and moons. Especially I'll hang up an answer in was an answer. (00:27:28) Well, first of all a surface regulation will get into the lake part first to surface regulation those watercraft is usually done by in the metro area, especially where we're having watercraft problems is done by local ordinance. And we approve that we have to prove that local ordinance and large lakes. Well, for example Mille Lacs Lake where there are several counties that that hit into the edge of Mille Lacs Lake we would have to have some sort of an ordinance that would be greed be agreed upon by all of the counties that are involved which sometimes becomes a little bit difficult we can put with agreement with the Affected units of government along the banks on Rivers we can put slow of slove zones no-wake zones various things like that in areas that might have some some problems and we have done that in a lot of cases. It is very difficult type of thing to slow down boats on large bodies of water. That's if you've noticed what's happening to the boat sails you the boat companies are not selling a lot of ten horse motors for 14 foot boats. They're selling an awful lot of hundred horse motors for 16 foot boats and people want to go fast. I haven't quite figured that one out yet why I've why you need a hundred horse motor to go across a 200 acre Lake but I but evidently they got the money and they want to do it but it does cause some problems we're working those Soother an awful lot of lakes in the metro area to have speed restrictions on them and horsepower restrictions. They come hard you have a good point. There are a lot of things that are going on out there with watercraft at right now looms is one of the big problems in managing traffic. We're getting up close to 800,000 registered watercraft in the state. Now. I don't know we may have passed that number. I don't know but I think it's right close to that right now and I've been dealing with some of the boat people about manufacturers and of them and Distributors lately and it's not a case of going out and selling boats. It's filling orders and that kind of bothers us a little bit. Not that they're doing that. But what do we do with the boats that everyone that they tell me almost everyone advisable. It has a boat at that. They're either going to sell or trade in or do something that and so when we when they sell a new one that doesn't mean a new ones taking the place of an old and we're adding boats and it's our responsibility along with local governments and those people who have to patrol Sheriff's departments and others to find some regulations that will be acceptable and enforceable and the last one is extremely important to regulation without the ability to enforce it is useless. So we need all of that and I appreciate your concern and I hope the people that are listening will have some concern that too because our our waterways can only And so much traffic then they get into damaging other things. Well, how close are we to the saturation point where you might have to restrict the number of boats that can be on a given body of water at a certain point in time. I am going to get in trouble again. I bring this up every time I go public, you know on something like this. We're very close to having to restrict the number of boats or the number of people that can participate in a in an activity at one time on a on a body of water. You can't crowd a lake to the point where water skiers bobber fisherman bass fisherman of the people who want to use the motor ski type of equipment pleasure boaters sale boaters. The ones that are now used in the parachute type things that they told behind the boat and the person gets up there a hundred feet in the air. You see all of those on lakes that are at a given time and when the crowd and gets the point where no one can have any enjoyment out there on that body of water, then we'll have to somebody will have to do something to regulate the times of the places or the days that they can do certain things and it's coming very quickly. Where do you think will happen first like Minnetonka Lake st. Croix maybe not in that order White Bear Lake and certain times Lakes like that that have multiple use White Bear Lake is a great sailing Lake when the weather's right beautiful sights watch the sailboats out there. They can't compete with motor boats or people who like to troll for fishing like Saint Croix beautiful boats large boats that are cruising up and down there very slow speed some time because they have two competing with those would like to water-ski and those like to sail boat knows it like to fish. You don't have to be too smart to realize that that's not going to go on without some real trouble or with some proposals that will have to restrict those activities in talking about a couple of seasons from now or next season and I would guess within five years that there will be some real there will have to be some heavy restrictions on surface water use. Okay. We have a lot of folks with questions for Joe Alexander will move on to you next. Thanks for waiting. Go ahead please (00:31:57) I have a question. I went through your book store several weeks ago and purchased woodworking for wildlife and have ordered landscaping for wildlife written by Carol Henderson. And those Publications are just excellent. He did a fantastic job. I think he deserves a lot of credit for those booklets that he put together and incidentally could you also list the hours that your book store is open. I never knew it was there and you had all your material. (00:32:30) I think you're talking about the little shop. That's done the first floor of our building. Is that the one that (00:32:36) yes? Yes. (00:32:37) Okay, that is run. Well when we rent the building and that's run by services for the blind at a little store down there, but they have all the Publications that we sell or in that in that little store. And excuse me. There are a number of pamphlets if they get ahold of Carol or get through the address that I gave them through me and I'll get them to to Carol or to someone in the non-game officer some pamphlets and jumps through our information and education at our free But I certainly appreciate your comments and I think of Rob who runs at store heard them he would be more than pleased. He's been trying to build up a clientele of people that saying that he's a part of that building and selling Publications that we put out that are that do have some cost to them and doing an excellent job as regular business hours and oh, yeah, just regular it's if he's in there before eight o'clock and he stared after 4:30, so he did and if to not call somebody in the building don't leave there without getting what you want. We've got an information booth there and can't call her somebody in a hall and we'll get to you. Okay now you've got a question to man's all (00:33:33) right, Carol Henderson. Wrote These two books, and he did a very good job. We've been using this woodworking for wildlife and then use that patterns the patterns he gave in there and the information on different birds in animals is just just really well done. I think he deserves it's a lot of credit for those two Publications and then my comment is our question is how can we best help with this poaching of wild ducks and Louisiana, do we write our congressmen their congressmen the department of the interior and I'll just hang up and let you answer. Thank you. (00:34:08) Well, I think everything that you mentioned as a good possibility I when it's just came up. I called a commissioner my counterpart in Louisiana and asked if she was aware of what was going on with the publicity up there and there they were under secretary Arrangement down there and her name is Virginia sickle and we have agreed that as to approach it from a state angle of trying to deal with Flyway issues when we go there that to talk about poaching. We are the two largest. Just States for taking Abduction the fly away their South and we're North they take about 2 million we take about 1 million, but we take more than the rest of about as many as rest of the Flyway put together. So we are both ends of this thing and do have some concerns each one of us has some concerns and I think writing to your congressman and and indicating your support for enforcement Federal enforcement in Louisiana would be an excellent idea. I have offered and I have offered to the people that are that are promoting some help down there that as a department. We don't have any money to donate to the federal government or anyone else. We have our own problems. We have to take care of but we do have some flexibility with people and they're short of people and we've offered to send people down there on special assignments to work with their officers today both to state level and the federal level that would in fact double their Air Patrol because they could split up experienced officers with one that we would send down there and could just about double it's not a good idea to work those back country by use and things with one but one person to a boat so you put two or three and it What but we're doing some things like that and we plan to take the concerns to the Flyway Council to see what we can work out there and everything that you mentioned would have some effect writing to Louisiana writing to your congressman and letting people know that you're concerned. How long have you been sending people down there? We sent some down last year. I don't remember if we did a year before we send a few down there worked out. Alright, and we're going to continue that increase that whatever I'm going to go. Well we had about four last year that participated down there kind of learned to ropes a little bit on what they're up against baiting is Big that's one of the things in the large camps, perhaps the helicopter would it would help a great deal on spotting those baiting areas. There's some other just the foot slogging type of work that cos have to get into a time would still have to be there just getting out in and apprehensions and patrolling education letting people know that there's a chance of getting caught is two of the biggest things that will come about on this. Okay, we have about 12 minutes before the are Joe Alexander. DNR commissioner is with us today. You're on with him. Now. What's your question today? (00:36:42) I'm calling from the very far. First and our regional tourism organization, which is called historic Bluff Country received many inquiries about Overland bicycle trails. That would be safe for family bicycling and Houston and Fillmore counties and we have an American youth hostel for bikers here and there's really no safe way to ride to it and I'm wondering what your plans are for developing a network of bicycle and hiking trails in our two counties in Southeastern Minnesota. (00:37:16) I don't know about the network that you're talking about. But I think that the brute River Trail, I'm sure that you're you're familiar with it's getting well along toward final development. I can't answer your question about what would be additional we've got some grant-in-aid type things that would tie into the major Trail systems that we would do the local units of government and clubs can participate in but again, if you if you would like to get someone at a club meeting or if you would like to get some of our people out to talk to a group of people Don't necessarily belong to a club. If you'd call me again, and I'll get you in touch with trails and waterways we could furnish it person that would come down and talk over plans for the entire area with you. Call me two nine six six 591 and let the person answers the phone know what you're after and I will make sure that you get in touch with our trails and waterways folks and and at least we can find out what the plans are. And if you have any ideas about what would tie in with the trail system by the time you're done with this you're going to hold that person a box of chocolates. Yeah. Let's move on to your question, please I the Commissioners listening. (00:38:21) Good afternoon. I brought a canoe last year. I applied for a license. I got the license and then there was a piece of paper that said I had to carry this with me whenever I use the boat. I don't don't like that. I mean I in canoeing it's obvious. So I wrote and they said the reason for that extra piece of paper is because some people apply for duplicate licenses and license more than one boat. I can understand that so then I wrote back and suggested that the serial number for the boats be incorporated into the license since it's on my piece of paper already, but I have not heard a response. Is that not a workable idea? (00:38:58) Well it I can answer it on canoes. We had some problem with serial numbers all identification numbers. You'll hear that term hims when you get into boating business that's referred to an awful lot places who manufacture a large number of boats. Sometimes the entire day's production carries the same number and so it's kind of like automobile tires automobile tires have serial numbers, but all one run has the same number. You can't trace a particular Tire you can trace a day's run by number but you can't trace some cases. You can't trace the put a particular unit. So we had some trouble with that. I don't know if that's been completely straightened out or not. But I know that many many boats do not have an acceptable identification number that you can run as a valid serial number for that for that boat. The reason a they gave you about. Carrying the certificate with you. And that's your title card really is is one that we have run into that. We haven't run into it much lately people have accepted to licenses in votes more than a than they used to but it was one. That was very very Troublesome had a few times where there would be a number of boats registered to you can get duplicate decals. If you happen to lose your decal rub it off painting or whatever you can get duplicate and people learned that and they got duplicates for three more seconds or three votes one license three votes, you know, and that sort of thing and three numbers all the same and we ran into a little bit of that. Where's the money from both licenses goal Colette goes into a number of accounts. It goes into right back into the to the there again, we get more money back and we put in but it goes in a number of things Public Access work some parks works and Waters work, but it's a while not entirely dedicated is put back into it and then we get some federal money back when I say we get more money and we put in it's usually we're getting some matching money from somewhere else. We do get some federal money in the boat motor program that some folks on the line with Down a couple of lines of opened up again to 2276 thousand in the Twin Cities. If you have a question for the Department of Natural Resources commissioner 2276 thousand elsewhere within Minnesota toll-free at 1-866-376-8255 for waiting you're on the air now. (00:41:02) Good morning interesting program. I was curious when you were mentioning all the brochures that the DNR and for that matter of fact of Minnesota tourist Association puts out who does the research and printing does the state of Minnesota have their own print operation or is this all farmed out to private firms? I I was curious about that (00:41:28) both of the above we do. There is a state printer that a lot of our stuff is done that we have some reproduction capabilities within a department for for some works. We don't we don't get into large volumes of things for reproducing but it's usually it's a probably a Expanded copy machine type of thing that we do on occasion, but in certain cases, we take beds and farm up Productions to to private printers. There are contract printers at the state that we run through to but there's a state printer contract printers and we do some right within our department. All right. Now your turn to talk to Joe Alexander. Hello there. Yes, please your question. (00:42:07) Yes, I'd like to ask if we could have a response to the lack of commercial fishery operations in Minnesota restaurants have a lot of trouble in the they can't buy fresh fish around here example, we buy walleye we have to bring it in from Canada. Okay. I'm like make sense that Minnesota being an area that's known for having good while I could produce why lights apply to the restaurant industry. (00:42:36) Well, there is a there is one outlet for fresh fish in the state of Minnesota. The Red Lake Indian man runs a huge commercial fishery on Red Lake and that's nothing but Minnesota wall-eyed, of course, it comes out of there and some Northern and perch and so some of the Lesser species Whitefish and to love these things like that. But that is the only that that is the only commercial Fisher we have our Canadian neighbors who are not many miles over from where we used to run the first fishery on The woods where we had a huge commercial Fisheries that's not there anymore. The Canadian fishery is still in operation at stake in fish out of the same water and about same price that they did. So we are just about as close to the market on Minnesota fish as we ever were the demand for walleye has gone up considerably and if you've noticed the price lately, it's almost getting to be Breakeven out about going to fishing going fishing. I can use that as an excuse now walleyes. I looked at the other day were eight dollars and forty four cents of pound Feliz. So that indicates a shortage of course of good of good fish. I don't the fish market the last time they Canadian Fish Market it has its headquarters in Winnipeg has all of the fresh walleyes coming out of those Canadian Waters that that they can that anybody could expect to Market and they're they're a very few miles farther away than than the market was when it was open here in Minnesota. So we do it is available. I wish that they were cheaper and I wish that that (00:44:05) With (00:44:05) some places that we could get them but a good fish and that's what happens when you have a good product and the price goes up well and it is isn't it. Basically a feeling that there's there's too much demand from sport fishing in order to have commercial fishing which cut out on Lake of the Woods for that reason that the commercial fishery up there was taking fish that that we felt as a state would be would do the state more good by being taken by sport fisheries and that's proved out to be pretty well, correct the people up there are fishing fishing at heavier. They're taking more fish out and they did Sportfishing. They're happier now was a sport fishing Arrangement up there than they were but the number of fish coming out of the lake of Lake of the Woods now a commercial fish that are coming out of there now for the market not much less than it was when we were when we were fishing. It has just begun to Navy on the Canadian side rather than American soil. Okay. Now you're on the air with joy Alexander. Hello. (00:45:00) Hello? Yes. Yes. I have a place up by Winton. And this past winter we've been a lot of nice deer in the yard and we've enjoyed having the deer around. In fact last fall. We had a bear attack that we have two of them in the yard when time and we enjoyed seeing the wildlife and we have a lot of bird feeders out to Dear radar bird feeders sometimes if they can reach him, but in noticed lately just a couple weeks ago. There was a dull and look like a yearling van that came into the yard in the the door had a had a radio collar around its neck and that thing looked very sick explore Its Ribs were showing and it was at the kind of a gray are judge tan a grayish color rather than the normal color of the other deer and it looked like it was ill and I was wondering if there's anything that why would they put a radio collar on a deer anyway and (00:46:04) all right fine. Well, let's part of our research work. I didn't know I am not aware now. Just what we did in around the Winton area, but we did some up in a task account and we're trapped here and try to try to radio track their movements to find out how they were living how long they live what their food patterns were and various things that you have to know. If you're going to manage a deer herd the college very light type thing. It doesn't interfere with their movements at all. We do it on a lot of things from the smallest animals right on up through to the large animals. They're very size radios and tracking devices at work. Well, there's any correlation between the deer being Ellen wearing. I don't believe that there's I don't I don't know of anything that the radio could have caused. It would rip off very easily if it get tangled up in wire or something like that to deer's head would be strong enough to rip that collar off. That's what happens to them. Sometimes they get ripped off and lost their even sometimes they're even put on birds like owls and various things like that that are that size or rough Grouse and so they don't cause them agrees great deal of difficulty. We'd like to hear about people who cite animals and unusual situations with collars on them. So if you ever hear that or any of your neighbors do of anything that that seems to have a collar on it that looks like it's in some trouble of some sort. We would like to know about it that it may have been in a deer of a certain age or something that that we were trying to track down some of the some of the characteristics of but it's a good program and we haven't found any instances where there where the radio would hurt the animal at all but we'd certainly like to know where they are. Okay, I think we've got time. We're almost to the end but let's take one more brief question for Joe Alexander. Hello there. (00:47:39) Hello. Yes, please. I have a question for the commissioner with regard to angling in the number of lines that are allowed for an angler to use in the winter versus the summer. What the Department's rationale is behind that. All right, we have about a minute (00:47:57) for you to lines in a winter one in the summer two lines in the winter. We can we can watch the person who's tending those lines very well. We have a I guess an economic reason for not wanting to lines in the summertime give you a quick one two persons in a boat man wife from out of state of Minnesota to lines out to line fishing is allowed to go up and check the man. He has he's in possession of the two lines. He's doing all of the fishing accept it you may have observed at the woman was also fishing. So what they're actually doing is two people fishing on one license and it makes things very difficult on enforcement when you have to count lines and divide the number of people. Well, we're not worried about the population of fish. It's a great deal. It's just one of those things it's just so hard to regulate that. It's one line one person as simple as simple as you can get it. Well Joe, thanks a lot. The time is going quickly. And as always it's been interesting having you on well, thank you. I appreciate being here. Joe Alexander is the Mr. Of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources want to remind you that weekend is made possible by Ecolab Incorporated and it's Chemlawn subsidiary and that Minnesota public radio's coverage of rural issues is made possible by the blandin foundation partners for the future with Minnesota's rural communities coming up on 12 o'clock. This is Bob Potter speaking.