Discussion will recognize ‘co-management’ as a factor
PERM encourages all Minnesota anglers to attend and have their voices heard.
*** Thursday, July 11: Northland Arboretum,14250 Conservation Drive, Brainerd
*** Tuesday, July 16: Mille Lacs Kathio State Park classroom, 15066 Kathio State Park Road, Onamia
*** Thursday, July 18: Indian Mounds Regional Park Pavilion, 10 Mounds Boulevard, St. Paul
All of the meetings run from 6 to 8 p.m.
If you can’t attend there is an online survey at www.dnr.state.mn.us/millelacslake
According to an Outdoor News report today by Javier Serna, Assistant Editor, DNR gears up for three Lake Mille Lacs planning meetings this month, the DNR wants to hear from anglers around the state. “A first step in putting together a new lake management plan.”
Tom Heinrich, the DNR’s Mille Lacs area fisheries supervisor, said DNR staff will make a 20-minute presentation then attendees will break into discussion groups to give their input. Also…,
“We’ll be focusing on the side boards that we have to deal with when we do any management action on Mille Lacs,” said Heinrich, alluding in part to the tribal co-management of the lake.
Serna also noted, “That co-management makes it different from just about any other lake in the country in terms of the way Mille Lacs is managed. It has been a source of frustration for many observers that have resisted the conservative management approach that has been in place on the lake for several years now.”
Heinrich acknowledged these limitations with Mille Lacs saying, “Of course, the degree that we can satisfy some of these folks goes back to … the treaty obligations that we have,” he said.
Heinrich said he understands frustrations folks might have about those limitations, but added, “This gives people the opportunity to tell us how we can fine-tune some of our management.”
