FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE,
3/7/08
Subject: Bill to clarify Not-for Profit contests
A bill has been introduced that adds the following underlined language
Comments can be sent to House representatives Hosch; Juhnke; Marquart;
Ward; Olin; Eken; Dill
1.7 Subd. 3. Contests requiring a permit. (a) A person must have a permit
from the
1.8commissioner to conduct a fishing contest that does not meet the
criteria in subdivision
1.92. The commissioner shall charge a fee for the permit that recovers the
costs of issuing
1.10the permit and of monitoring the activities allowed by the permit. The
commissioner
1.11may waive the fee under this subdivision for a charitable organization
or a not for profit
1.12corporation that is registered with the Office of the Secretary
of State. Notwithstanding
1.13section 16A.1283, the commissioner may, by written order published in
the State Register,
1.14establish contest permit fees. The fees are not subject to the
rulemaking provisions of
1.15chapter 14 and section 14.386 does not apply.
Vern
Subject: $200 Club fee re-re clarified
I went over and spoke with Representative Erdahl about the “$200 club
fee”. It turns out that what he is trying to do, is give some of the small
clubs an out from the current $120 per event fees. However this is not
what the bill seems to imply. (turns out that BassRaps guess as to what
this is was close).
There is a fishing club in his district (up by Hutchison) that contacted
him and asked him to try and do something to help them; under the new
rules they need to pony up over two thousand dollars !!! .
The bill has been sent to the research department to fix the wording, it
appears that the DNR is also looking into the bill.
He is very open to input and would like to hear suggestions on how to
accomplish what he is trying to do. Rather then this being an
anti-tournament bill, he is trying to soften the blow.
I support what he is doing, maybe we need to suggest that the threshold
for needing a permit be raised or that more exemptions from the fees be
added. 30 participants can mean 15 boats or 30 boats, and a $25 entry fee
seems low in 2008.
I would like to see an exemption from the fees for clubs that conduct
youth fishing programs. The DNR and fishing would get a greater net gain
from clubs teaching fishing kids then it does from collecting fee’s .
"Fishermen seek greater depths"
Vern Wagner, 5221 42nd Ave. So, Mpls. MN 55417, (C) 612-756-3474, (h)
612-729-3474 (w) 612-596-0990
Subject: $200 per club fee introduced
(this is really an addition to the current statute,
Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 97C.081)
H.F. No. 2952, as introduced - 85th Legislative Session (2007-2008) Posted
on Feb 13, 2008
1.1 A bill for an act
1.2 relating to game and fish; establishing an alternative fishing contest
fee for
1.3 certain fishing clubs;amending Minnesota Statutes 2006, section
97C.081, by
1.4 adding a subdivision.
1.5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.6 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 97C.081, is amended by
adding a
1.7 subdivision to read:
1.8 Subd. 3a. Fishing clubs. (a) A fishing club is exempt from the permit
fees
1.9 established under subdivision 3 if the club:
1.10 (1) has 24 members or less; and
1.11 (2) collects data, such as the size and species of the fish caught,
and submits the data
1.12 to the commissioner after every contest the fishing club holds.
1.13 (b) The commissioner shall charge an alternative annual fee to a
fishing club
1.14 exempted from the permit fees established under subdivision 3. The
annual fee is $200 or
1.15 the total amount of all prizes to be awarded for the year, whichever
is greater.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vern Wagner
vwagner_mnbf@hotmail.com
4/22/07
Open Letter: Fishing Contest Fees (HF 1116 / SF 1250)
DNR statement of need
About 6 years ago our DNR instituted a fishing contest (tournament) permit
process to address complaints regarding busy lakes and accesses. Within this
process the DNR limits tournaments based on the size of the body of water and an
tournament organizer must request a tournament permit that is free of charge.
Today, due to this process, previously reported complaints are virtually
non-existent. However, the DNR wants to now change this process by amending the
current statute which states "Permits shall be issued without a fee". The DNR
wants to recover the administrative costs of these permits, based upon the
recommendation of the Budget Oversight Committee, which reportedly cost $108,000
annually. The DNR is deriving its $108,000 tournament administrative costs using
3 hours of administrative time at $60/hour for 600 tournament permits. A
tournament organizer downloads the application and mails the completed
application to a DNR regional office. If no scheduling conflict occurs, the
permit is granted and a copy of the application is mailed back to the tournament
organizer. If a conflict occurs, the DNR provides each tournament organizer with
the conflicting tournament organizer's contact information and asks them to
resolve the scheduling conflict. If no resolution can be made, the DNR will make
a drawing to award the permit.
The DNR wants anglers to pay them to do their job of managing our natural
resources. Tournaments should be a given for those who have already purchased
fishing/boat licenses. All of our neighboring states do not charge a fee--most
do not even have a permit process. Indiana is the only state to charge
tournament permit fees.
There fee schedule is:
1-14 boats $0
15-29 boats $20
30-59 boats $50
60-99 boats $100
100+ boats $150
Fishing tournament boat fee of $1/person
Source: http://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/properties/docs/2006DNRFINALRecFeeChanges11_30_05.pdf
The Minnesota DNR has suggested the following fee schedule:
1-14 boats $0 (unless entry fee is over $25 then $120)
15-49 boats $125 (offsite: $1000)
50+ boats $400 (offsite: $5000)
All ice fishing tournaments $125
Not only will we be of the few, we will be the highest. These tournament
fees will just feed the perception of Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes, being
unfriendly to tournament anglers.
Contact your
MN
Representative & Senator and speak up for your rights.
Mickey Goetting
Minnesota B.A.S.S. Federation Nation
Conservation Director & Webmaster
mgoetting@mnbf.org
A message from Vern Wagner, (former) MN BASS Federation Nation Conservation
Director:
Tournament permit fees $120-$5,000!
The MN DNR is looking for feedback on their proposed Tournament Permit fee
structure. There are two sized tournaments, large (50 boats or more or 100
or more participants) and small. Then on-site and off-site weigh-ins
The are proposing a fee of $120 dollars per application for small onsite
permits, $400 dollars for a large permit. For offsite weigh-ins the fee
would be $1,000 for a small permit and $5,000 dollars for a large.
Ice fishing contests would have a flat fee of $120 dollars regardless of
size.
Some of us Tournament people are meeting with them on April 19th.
Please get back to me with any feedback you might have, so I can pass it
on.
Vern Wagner
vwagner_mnbf@hotmail.com
Don't treat Fishing contests punitively.
The Minnesota DNR legislative staff has put forth language in the
2007/2008 Game and Fish bill that would punitively charge fishing contests
$106,000.00. This is the amount which the DNR Budget Oversight Committee
has determined that issuing and monitoring fishing contest permits costs
the department. A little history: The fishing contest permit process came
about since1986 and was a joint DNR/Citizen angler collaborative. Prior to
this, contest organizers coordinated between themselves so contests and
tournaments didn't schedule up on top of each other. While the number of
contests applying for permits has grown, it has stabilized in the last 3-4
yrs. Of the 600 permits issued about 200 are for Bass events.
Savvy anglers at the time, with DNR assistance penned the legislation,
which created free permits, thus removing any major obstacle for not
obtaining a permit. The idea was that we were better off with a tournament
permit process that we had input into, then some future process that would
dictate terms. Since it’s inception it has worked flawlessly.
So, why the change? Minnesota anglers purchased 1,458,013 fishing licenses
in 2005. Sportfishing in Minnesota has an annual economic output of
$2,862,561,056. What is it that with a multi-million dollars budget, the
DNR needs this 106,000? Is it part of all the over-all tax/fee increases
that have come about in Minnesota (Plenty of fee’s) or is the DNR Budget
Oversight Committee tripping over dollars, to pick up pennies. What other
angler groups are scheduled for fees? Should Walleye fisherman be
surcharged for the DNR Walleye Stocking services? Where will they draw the
line. So, I’m left with two questions: Is the DNR so broke that it needs
to collect more and more fees? Or is it something about fishing contests
that attracts the bean counters. If we realistically need better funding
for DNR activities, is this the best way to go about it and is 106K
enough?
What about a fishing contest or tournament stamp instead. If we need to
enhance what we are doing to monitor or coordinate contests, Minnesota
anglers have always paid their own way. But if we drive Muskie, Bass and
Walleye tournaments out of business what will we gain economically. The
Sportfishing industry in Minnesota drives tourism, boating sales, and
creates jobs. Sportfishing in MN generates $143,104,860 in fuel tax, State
and Federal taxes.
So, let’s find ways to enhance sportfishing, not penalize it. Fishing
contests and their positive economic influence are not a problem. What
Minnesota gains, far outweighs the DNR administrative costs of processing
the paperwork.
Press Release : charging for Crow Wing Sheriffs permits
Apparently new in 2006, the Crow Wing County Sheriff has started to charge
a $25.00 administrative fee for issuing a permit. I’m hearing via the
grapevine that other Counties will soon follow suit.
If the new DNR proposed fee ($160-$180), for permits is applied. and under
a worst case scenario, we would need to pony up $200 per event. Just to
get a permit.
Help
Save Tournament Fishing by Bill Mathis
A message from Vern Wagner, (former) MN BASS Federation Nation Conservation
Director:
Subject: 2007 anti-tournament Game and Fish bill
The annual DNR Game and Fish bill S.F. 1184 has been
introduced by Sen. Dill.
It contains two major attacks on tournament fishing.
If we don't respond to this, we will see major changes.
We need to contact our senators, congress and the DNR and let them know we
are NOT in favor of this bill. I urge you to spread the word to all those
you know who fish and who this would affect. If this bill gets passed, we
WILL see major changes and possibly the elimination of fishing tournaments
all together. The time to act is now and we need to respond in numbers.
Pass the word and lets flood their in-boxes with a loud and decisive NO to
this bill.
Thank you.
1.16 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 97A.015, is amended by
adding a
1.17subdivision to read:
1.18 Subd. 26c. Immediately released or immediately returned to the water.
1.19"Immediately released" or "immediately returned to the water" means
that a fish must not
1.20be retained longer than is needed at the site of capture to unhook,
identify, measure, or
1.21photograph the fish. Placing a fish on a stringer, in a live well, or
in a cooler, bucket, or
1.22other container is not "immediately released" or "immediately returned
to the water."
9.5 Sec. 22. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 97C.081, subdivision 3, is
amended to read:
9.6 Subd. 3. Contests requiring a permit. (a) A person must have a permit
from the
9.7commissioner to conduct a fishing contest that does not meet the
criteria in subdivision 2.
9.8Permits shall be issued without a fee. The commissioner shall charge a
fee for the permit
9.9that recovers the costs of issuing the permit and monitoring the
activities allowed by the
9.10permit. Notwithstanding section 16A.1283, the commissioner may, by
written order
9.11published in the State Register, establish contest permit fees. The
fees are not subject to
9.12the rulemaking provisions of chapter 14 and section 14.386 does not
apply.
9.13(b) If entry fees are over $25 per person, or total prizes are valued
at more than
9.14$25,000, and if the applicant has either:
9.15(1) not previously conducted a fishing contest requiring a permit
under this
9.16subdivision; or
9.17(2) ever failed to make required prize awards in a fishing contest
conducted by
9.18the applicant, the commissioner may require the applicant to furnish
the commissioner
9.19evidence of financial responsibility in the form of a surety bond or
bank letter of credit in
9.20the amount of $25,000.
Environment and Natural Resources Committee members:
Senate:
sen.satveer.chaudhary@senate.mn,
sen.dan.skogen@senate.mn,
sen.pat.pariseau@senate.mn,
sen.scott.dibble@senate.mn,
sen.steve.dille@senate.mn,
sen.dennis.frederickson@senate.mn,
sen.bill.ingebrigtsen@senate.mn,
sen.gen.olson@senate.mn,
sen.tom.saxhaug@senate.mn,
sen.kathy.sheran@senate.mn,
sen.katie.sieben@senate.mn,
House:
rep.rick.hansen@house.mn,
rep.tom.hackbarth@house.mn,
rep.kathy.brynaert@house.mn,
rep.tony.cornish@house.mn,
rep.david.dill@house.mn,
rep.paul.gardner@house.mn,
rep.joe.hoppe@house.mn,
rep.carlos.mariani@house.mn,
rep.denny.mcnamara@house.mn,
rep.frank.moe@house.mn,
rep.dave.olin@house.mn,
rep.dennis.ozment@house.mn,
rep.brita.sailer@house.mn,
rep.cy.thao@house.mn,
rep.kathy.tingelstad@house.mn,
rep.jean.wagenius@house.mn
A message from Vern Wagner:
This is the second year in a row that the MN DNR
Citizen's Budget Oversight committee has made this recommendation.
While we all know that an anti-tournament mentality exists within the DNR
and with Joe Public,
but charging a tournament fee doesn't address the issues that Tournaments
present to today's fishery's managers.
RESPONSE TO FISHERIES OPERATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE REPORT
Fishing tournament costs
The Committee now recommends that DNR seek legislative change to Minnesota
Statutes to create a tournament fee
structure for small, medium and large tournament.
DNR response: DNR staff are developing alternative tournament fee
structures that would recover administrative costs.
These alternative structures are in our proposed budget, which has not yet
been finalized.
(Response from Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to the Budgetary
Oversight Committee’s Citizen Oversight
Report on Game and Fish Fund Expenditures Fiscal Year 2005)
