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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | It is once again time to contact Minnesota legislators and let it be known that attacks on muskies need to stop and are not based in any reality. If you value musky fishing, public water access, and politicians not dictating how lakes should be manage you need to contact these Senators and let them know that you oppose SF3319.
I'm sure that there are some that don't think the DNR does a good job at anything. You're entitled to that opinion. My response would be do you think politicians and lake property owners that don't want you on "their" lake are going to do a better job at managing fisheries? I hope the obviously answer is no.
SF3319 is going to be heard in this committee. Please email all of the members and respectfully voice your opposition to it.
http://www.senate.mn/committees/committee_bio.php?cmte_id=3094&ls=9... |
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | Here is the bill for reference:
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=Senate&f=SF3319&ssn=0&y=... |
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Posts: 1181
| Thanks for posting this Pointer. You beat me to it. I read this in my paper this morning and was waiting to cool down before posting. Made my blood boil. Can't seem to paste this as a link, but you can copy into your browser.
http://www.startribune.com/minnesota-legislature-declares-war-on-mu...
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Posts: 273
| Are non residents of MN being asked to email as well? |
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | blkdrs - 3/18/2018 10:33 AM
Are non residents of MN being asked to email as well?
Yep, everyone. Let them know you'll not plan any trips to Minnesota and will take your tourism dollars elsewhere. |
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Posts: 43
Location: S. Wisconsin |
All fishermen need to get involved. This is a "beta test" for other states, they will NOT stop with Minnesota. Crush this NOW.
If you go to Minnesota and fish,(and we ALL DO, hint, hint,) then it would be important AND influential for MN legislators to know HOW this move will affect their economy, and therefore, their constituents.
Don't forget to mention how much we spend on restaurants, gas, beer, hotels, sporting goods, beer, marine service, etc... We can take that money elsewhere. Even MN residents might spend fishing money in another state...
Maybe only mention beer once...
Old timers will tell ya it used to be a LOT harder to catch a 50" or a 40 pounder...for a few decades, there...
Dont go backwards. |
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Posts: 516
Location: WI | One of these years I’m going to save my letter to Minnesota senators/representatives on my desktop. Good thing have it memorized. |
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Posts: 1
| Can someone list the email addresses I can email? I will be sending as many as possible. |
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Posts: 289
Location: Minneapolis | Muskie fishermen who live in Sen. Ingebrigsten's district really need to get out the vote for whoever opposes him.
I was disappointed to see the city of Battle Lake supported the legislation. I guess I don't need to spend any dollars there when I'm fishing West Battle. Although if this legislation goes through, there won't be muskies in West Battle much longer. Also disappointed to see Sen. Bakk co-sponsor the bill. He must not realize or not care how many people travel to Vermilion and stay in the resorts to fish for muskies. |
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | MuskyTrain - 3/18/2018 9:18 PM
Can someone list the email addresses I can email? I will be sending as many as possible.
All available in the link in the first post. Click on each committee members name and it either has an email address or will take you to a form to fill out to contact them. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | Should be able to copy and paste one of these into your email. Everyone should send them an email to show your support for continued stocking of muskies in ALL Counties in MN
For Outlook:
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
for emails that seperate addresses with a coma:
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Edited by BNelson 3/19/2018 9:42 AM
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Posts: 833
| rpike - 3/18/2018 10:13 PM
Muskie fishermen who live in Sen. Ingebrigsten's district really need to get out the vote for whoever opposes him.
I was disappointed to see the city of Battle Lake supported the legislation. I guess I don't need to spend any dollars there when I'm fishing West Battle. Although if this legislation goes through, there won't be muskies in West Battle much longer. Also disappointed to see Sen. Bakk co-sponsor the bill. He must not realize or not care how many people travel to Vermilion and stay in the resorts to fish for muskies.
This was my main take away as well. We knew this was coming.
We really need to find strong candidate to primary against Ingebrigsten. He is strong in his district, so it won't be easy, but getting rid of him would do us a lot of good.
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Posts: 32784
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I sent an open letter to the chair, vice chair, and ranking minority member. I'll forward to the rest in a moment.
Here's my statement from OFM:
RE: Legislation under consideration in Minnesota, specifically bill SF3319
Minnesota Lawmakers,
OutdoorsFIRST hosts the largest muskie and pike fishing community in the world, with an audience of over one half million muskie anglers. The majority of those anglers live in the upper Midwest, and a very high percentage actively fish Minnesota muskie waters.
OutdoorsFIRST offers fishing news and information of the day, represents many clients in your state, and offers a community-based discussion for muskie anglers across the range; those visiting your state to fish muskies and those muskie anglers living in the great State of MN, numbering in the hundreds of thousands. We assist in managing social media for muskie organizations in your state and for the Muskies Inc International, the only national muskie conservation organization in the United States. We host and attend events drawing large numbers of tourists into the state, and work with Tourist organizations and resorts promoting the world class muskie fishing opportunities your Department of Natural resources has created, strengthened, and/or regulated over the last three decades, setting the bar for other state’s DNR muskie teams. We have been asked to craft this letter by our clients, visitors, and members.
There has been a very disturbing trend in Minnesota for politics to invade into the realm of the science of fisheries management. With all due respect, the State has hired the best biologists and specialists to manage the fish and game in the state. These poorly paid scientists and dedicated staff members know the relationship between all the species managed in all the waters of the state and should be the only MN representatives managing them. Allowing Lake associations, individuals, and groups to attempt to manage those resources through creation of laws that are specific to each group’s personal and local agendas and have absolutely no biological bearing on fishery management for top potential is a recipe for disaster, and a very poor precedent for your office to allow. It’s even worse for a lawmaker to directly meddle with the science of fish and game management. To support or pass legislation that is based upon nonsense and presented to you by organizations only wishing to limit tourism and keep anglers off ‘their’ water is paramount to a breach of trust to the millions of sportsmen and women in the state.
Please, please, please do not vote in favor of any proposed legislation allowing direct interference with the MN DNR management of your fish and game resources. A very significant portion of your state tourism WILL BE VERY NEGATIVELY AFFECTED and absolutely no positive effect is biologically suggested by the proposed legislation.
Respectfully,
Steve Worrall
OutdoorsFIRST Media Inc.
7156809265
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Posts: 1664
| Has Muskie Inc. addressed this with a press release? Seems to me these points go against everything they stand for.
Force DNR to drop its statewide, 54-inch minimum size limit for keeping a muskie. On “nonmuskellunge’’ waters, anglers could keep any muskie 20 inches or longer.
Allow spearing of muskies on “nonmuskellunge’’ waters
Empower counties to dictate what species of fish the DNR can stock within county boundaries.
Muskie Inc. is the big dog, time for them to bark. |
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Posts: 323
Location: Elk River, MN | rpike - 3/18/2018 10:13 PM
I was disappointed to see the city of Battle Lake supported the legislation. I guess I don't need to spend any dollars there when I'm fishing West Battle. .
I wonder what stance Ben's Bait has on this? I'd hate to have to find another bait shop in the area.
Seems like a bold move to oppose a decent amount of the city's fall fisherman. |
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Posts: 444
| Thanks Steve!
Awesome letter. |
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Posts: 300
| Emails sent. Hope all turns out well with this. |
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Posts: 7
| BNelson - 3/19/2018 9:25 AM
Should be able to copy and paste one of these into your email. Everyone should send them an email to show your support for continued stocking of muskies in ALL Counties in MN
For Outlook:
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
for emails that seperate addresses with a coma:
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
I copy pasted and sent a letter. Got a return email saying, "When Office 365 tried to send your message, the receiving email server outside Office 365 reported an error. Couldn't deliver the message to the following recipients:
[email protected], [email protected]"
Went to their spam folder. Hopefully they check it. Went to all the rest though. Maybe it's just my gmail. Anyway just FYI |
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Posts: 1039
Location: North St. Paul, MN | Outkast - 3/19/2018 12:17 PM
BNelson - 3/19/2018 9:25 AM
Should be able to copy and paste one of these into your email. Everyone should send them an email to show your support for continued stocking of muskies in ALL Counties in MN
For Outlook:
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
for emails that seperate addresses with a coma:
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
I copy pasted and sent a letter. Got a return email saying, "When Office 365 tried to send your message, the receiving email server outside Office 365 reported an error. Couldn't deliver the message to the following recipients:
[email protected], [email protected]"
Went to their spam folder. Hopefully they check it. Went to all the rest though. Maybe it's just my gmail. Anyway just FYI
Yep, same with my gmail. Going to have to try those two individually? |
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Posts: 18
| Outkast - 3/19/2018 12:17 PM
I copy pasted and sent a letter. Got a return email saying, "When Office 365 tried to send your message, the receiving email server outside Office 365 reported an error. Couldn't deliver the message to the following recipients:
[email protected], [email protected]"
Went to their spam folder. Hopefully they check it. Went to all the rest though. Maybe it's just my gmail. Anyway just FYI
I received the same for these two. I think they require emails to be submitted through their "form" email process if you go to their senate webpage.
Bakk: http://www.senate.mn/members/member_bio.php?leg_id=10027
Ray: http://www.senate.mn/members/member_bio.php?mem_id=1151 |
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Location: Contrarian Island | corrected list. these should go thru:
For Outlook:
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
for emails that seperate addresses with a coma:
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Edited by BNelson 3/19/2018 1:02 PM
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Posts: 607
Location: S.W. WI | Brian Hoffies - 3/19/2018 10:08 AM
Has Muskie Inc. addressed this with a press release? Seems to me these points go against everything they stand for.
Muskie Inc. is the big dog, time for them to bark.
This is the main reason I am a member of MI.
Muskies Inc. Please address this issue. Things like this is why I pay my dues.
Edited by Rudedog 3/19/2018 1:23 PM
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Location: Contrarian Island | I agree, I know I have heard they do "a lot behind the scenes" but issues like this they should be doing more that all the paying members can see... |
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Posts: 101
Location: Niagara on the Lake, ON | Can anyone point out some of the influential muskie guides or ministry/research people in Minnesota? We would like to do a podcast interview to educate and distribute the public and public officials on why this proposal is such a bad idea both for anglers and for the ecosystem. An informed session can go a long way to educating people on this issue. Please PM me or list here anyone I could approach that has some esteem in the community. Thanks. |
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Posts: 32784
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Look at the Twin Cities Chapter of MI as a start. |
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Posts: 897
| Here's what I sent to all of the members of the committee and the senators who authored the bill...
Hello,
I am writing regarding SF 3319 as a MN resident and avid angler of ALL species. SF 3319 is the latest attempt by Sen. Ingebritsen and Sen. Bakk to undermine the Long Range Plan for Muskellunge and Northern Pike. It is unfortunate that this issue needs to be revisited each year, causing much time and money to be wasted on an effort that is contrary to the research. Senators Ingebritsen and Bakk have presented a number of bills over the past few years aimed at thwarting the efforts of the MN DNR regarding the future of muskellunge in this state. Their efforts are wholly unsupported by science or the MN DNR. Rather, their efforts are fueled by misunderstanding and selfishness.
Many fisherpeople across the state complain about muskies and the impact muskies have on the species of fish they prefer to target. Many people mistakenly believe muskies have a negative impact on the populations of smaller species of fish. In fact, lakes with healthy muskellunge populations have thriving populations of all species of fish. This is a fact supported by all of the research into these "issues." Ecosystems thrive on balance. Top level predators help maintain that balance, particularly when stocked in low numbers as muskellunge are in MN. While it is not hard to understand why people assume a large fish with big teeth eats all of their beloved species and that is why their success rates have diminished, research tells us muskies do not have that kind of impact on other fish populations.
Muskies are a convenient scapegoat for those unwilling or unable to adjust how they fish for particular species. Reality is that many lakes in Minnesota are going through significant changes on many levels due to invasive species and other environmental factors. Clearer water resulting from zebra mussels significantly impacts fish location and feeding patterns. Areas infested with milfoil become much, much harder to fish. Runoff from surrounding farms causes algae blooms that make it difficult to fish. The list goes on and on. Point being, changes in success rates for people on certain lakes like has nothing to do with muskies being present and everything to do with an increasing list of environmental factors causing lakes to change physically.
Finally, selfishness is clearly part of this effort. Lake property owners and people that like to fish certain lakes do not like additional boat traffic. Adding muskies to a lake increases boat traffic, there is no doubt about that. The lakes being eyed by the MN DNR as potential future lakes for stocking muskellunge are frequently larger, more popular lakes, with higher property values. The bottom line is the waters of Minnesota are PUBLIC waters. That someone is able to afford living on a lake and has money to contribute to political campaign funds, is not reason to deny the public added or continued opportunities to fish for muskellunge in the State of Minnesota.
As Senators of this great state you have an obligation to every citizen, not just those who yell the loudest and the most frequently. The Senators who have introduced this bill have produced nothing scientific supporting their position, which is contrary to all of the research and the position of the Minnesota DNR. Please do not give in to this misguided effort. Do not pass SF 3319.
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Posts: 289
Location: Minneapolis | I sent messages to all the senators last night. I have not seen confirmation from any of them that the messages were received. |
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Posts: 770
| Rudedog - 3/19/2018 1:17 PM
Brian Hoffies - 3/19/2018 10:08 AM
Has Muskie Inc. addressed this with a press release? Seems to me these points go against everything they stand for.
Muskie Inc. is the big dog, time for them to bark.
This is the main reason I am a member of MI.
Muskies Inc. Please address this issue. Things like this is why I pay my dues.
Agreed. I sent individual emails to all! But MI should use some.funds to put this to an end |
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Posts: 304
Location: Lino Lakes, MN |
Muskies Inc. as a non-profit cannot pay lobbyist. Please contact the MN Muskie and Pike Alliance. They can take funds and contribute to a lobbyist.
I have been in contact with the North Metro M.I. President and he is working with our board to send a letter showing our stance on this.
I have asked him if the M.I. International President can submit something as well.
This is up to us as individuals to contact our representatives and senators and voice our displeasure with the bill.
The bill is now in the hands of the Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Legacy Finance Committee.
I encourage you to write and call the members of this committee as well.
Steve |
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Posts: 470
Location: Blaine, MN | Sorgy - 3/19/2018 3:25 PM
Muskies Inc. as a non-profit cannot pay lobbyist. Please contact the MN Muskie and Pike Alliance. They can take funds and contribute to a lobbyist.
I have been in contact with the North Metro M.I. President and he is working with our board to send a letter showing our stance on this.
I have asked him if the M.I. International President can submit something as well.
This is up to us as individuals to contact our representatives and senators and voice our displeasure with the bill.
The bill is now in the hands of the Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Legacy Finance Committee.
I encourage you to write and call the members of this committee as well.
Steve
Good call on this Sorgy. Everyones individual participation is needed. No one is going to call or e-mail for us, we need to each dedicate some time and make the necessary contacts. We Have to follow this all the way to the top if it progresses... If our Reps and Senators won't listen, maybe the governor will if it comes down to that. |
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