Festival of Fish event planned on the Mississippi River

Have you ever flown a fish kite, cast a fly rod or wondered how to build a fishing net? Have you wondered how the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) manages fish populations in our state or how many species of fish live in our waters or what equipment is needed to go fishing?

You can find answers to these and many other questions at the First Annual Festival of Fish, Saturday, Aug. 7, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. at Fort Snelling State Park, located off Post Road near the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport. Park permit fees apply - $7 daily, $25 annual.

The Festival of Fish will bring Minnesotans together to celebrate the role fish play in the history, foods, traditions, art, recreation and social customs of our many cultures.

Generations and cultures will gather at the Festival of Fish to share skills, tell stories about fishing and learn more about today's fisheries management practices. The event is designed to foster an increased stewardship of Minnesota's natural resources and help to preserve fishing opportunities for Minnesotans well into the future.

This year's event will include:

- demonstrations of traditional and modern fishing techniques

- display of fishing tackle from yesterday and today

- storytellers relating fishing adventures and folklore from around the world

- art and craft displays and demonstrations that reflect the importance of fish in life and legend

- fishing skills activity area and equipment demonstrations

- fish filleting and tasting area

- kids fun area (make a fish print, a fish hat, a fish kite, spin the Wheel of Fish, watch a puppet show, dance performances and much more)

- live fish and seining demonstrations.

DNR to conduct state land sale Aug. 24-25

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will offer eight parcels of state land for sale to the public at sealed bid auction and public oral auction Aug. 24 - 25.

Two 40-acre parcels located near the city of Wilton will be sold by sealed bid auction. These properties may be sold at less than appraised value. Bids must be submitted on a form obtained from the DNR. All bids must be received by the DNR on Aug. 20 before 4:30 p.m.

The bid opening will take place on Aug. 25.

The properties to be offered at oral auction include the DNR's former forestry office in Hovland, a platted lot near Fall Lake in the Ely area, and rural sites in Hubbard and Itasca counties. The oral auctions will take place Aug. 24 - 25.

Prospective bidders are urged to obtain full information on properties and sale conditions prior to an auction. No properties offered at oral auction will be sold for less than the minimum bid identified for each property. The minimum bid consists of the appraised value of the land and any improvements, the timber value and sale costs.

All properties are sold "as is."

Property data sheets, available from the DNR for all parcels, list exact property locations, minimum bids, date and location of the auction for that property, site description and property condition. The properties are briefly described below. For more information, contact the DNR by calling (651) 297-5982 or toll free 1-888-MINNDNR (1-888-646-6367), or by e-mail at landsale@dnr.state.mn.us. Land sale information is also available on the DNR Web site at www.dnr.state.mn.us.

SEALED BID AUCTION Property B: 40 acres near Wilton, Beltrami County; suitable for recreation or residence.

Property C: 40 acres near Wilton, Beltrami County; suitable for recreation or residence.

ORAL AUCTION

Property F: 1.69 acres and buildings in Hovland, Cook County; suitable for residence or recreation

Property G: 40 acres located 5 miles southwest of Cass Lake, Hubbard County; suitable for residence.

Property H: 3.8 acres located 3 miles south of Park Rapids, Hubbard County; add-on property.

Property I: 3.70 acre lot located 6.5 miles northeast of Ely, Lake County; suitable for residence.

Property J: 40 acres located 5 miles south of Calumet, Itasca County; suitable for residence or recreation.

Property K: 4.30 acres located 5 miles northeast of Northome, Itasca County; add-on property.

Pontoon boat safety concerns DNR officials

Boating safety officials are seeing more accidents and safety violations involving pontoon boats this summer. Two people have died in accidents on pontoons so far this season and there have been several other mishaps involving unsafe or unlawful activities on the popular watercraft, according to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

"Being on board a pontoon boat gives many folks a false sense of security," said DNR Conservation Officer Lee Alderson, who is based in Cloquet. "Some feel that pontoon boats are unsinkable and have the mistaken belief that they don't get involved in boating accidents."

There are currently about 62,000 pontoon boats registered in Minnesota. Pontoons have long been considered the boat of choice for grandma and grandpa to take the grandkids out fishing for sunnies. Today, some pontoons are nearly 30 feet long and equipped with motors over 250 horsepower.

"Most of the time the accidents have nothing to do with the size of the motor or the watercraft itself," said Tim Smalley, DNR boating safety specialist. "Instead, pontoon problems tend to arise from the passengers' activities and the way the craft is being operated. We're seeing alcohol and unsafe behavior by the passengers. It's a social situation where people want to see and be seen by other boaters and people on the shore. Because of this, they may do dangerous things in the pursuit of fun."

DNR officers and water patrol deputies, in busy weekend lake areas, have warned people dozens of times to get back behind the pontoon guard railings. Also, people are jump off moving pontoons to go swimming. "You don't need a Ph.D. to see the danger in that," Smalley said.

Minnesota law requires that everyone stay behind the railing while a pontoon is underway. "There's a good reason behind that law," Smalley said. "If a person is outside the guard rail and the craft hits a wave or another boat's wake, or the operator turns the motor quickly, that person can be thrown overboard and drown. If they fall between the pontoons while the boat is moving forward, there's almost no way the operator can turn the motor off in time to avoid hitting the victim with the spinning propeller."

Many pontoons can easily carry 12 or 15 people. With a group that size, the operator may not realize that someone has stepped out onto the decking in front of the railings. Boat operators are responsible for the actions and safety of all their passengers.

Another pontoon problem has cropped up this summer. Many new pontoon boats are equipped with so-called "docking lights" meant to be used when approaching a dock. However, some boaters are using them as headlights while out on the water.

The DNR says docking lights blind other boaters, overpowering the pontoon's red, green and white navigation lights that help other boaters to determine the pontoon's position, speed and direction of travel.

"I hate when that happens; it's like a car coming straight at you," said Nikki Shoutz, DNR conservation officer at Pine River. "We really recommend against running with your docking lights on."

Pontoon owners need to install equipment correctly. Brainerd area DNR Conservation Officer Greg Verkuilen spotted a pontoon whose red and green navigation lights had been mounted so they pointed straight up at the sky instead of port and starboard.

Officers have also noted another violation where pontoon white stern lights are blocked or obscured by a canopy top that comes with many boats.

Pontoon operators also need to be sure they have enough life jackets on board. The law says they have to be readily accessible, not zipped into storage containers or still in their plastic wrappers from the store.

"Readily accessible means the vests have to be ready to put on at a moment's notice," Smalley said, "but we would rather folks actually have them on. Trying to put on a life jacket before a boat accident would be like trying to buckle your seatbelt just before a car crash."

Officers often report seeing overloaded pontoon boats. Metro area DNR Conservation Officer Jason Jensen reported seeing one pontoon boat that "was so overloaded that only the decking was above the waterline. Pontoons can and do porpoise and sink."

Perham area Conservation Officer Norm Floden observed a pontoon where so many passengers were crowded towards the bow, the boat was dangerously close to diving like a submarine when the operator accelerated.

"Don't get me wrong," Smalley said. "Pontoons are great and a lot of fun when operated properly, but when careless or clueless captains take over, that's when the problems begin. Pontoon boats are just like any other watercraft and need to be operated with care by a knowledgeable and sober skipper."

The DNR offers these tips to have a safe outing on your pontoon boat:

- Make sure passengers stay behind the guard rails while the boat is in operation and don't break the law by loading boat beyond its rated capacity.

- Don't drink beer or other alcoholic beverages while operating and don't allow passengers to become intoxicated either. Operators are responsible for their actions and those of their passengers from the time they leave the dock until they return.

- Do not use docking lights as headlights which may blind other boaters.

- Make sure red, green and white navigation lights are not blocked or incorrectly installed and are switched on after sunset.

- Have enough life jackets for everyone on board and ensure that they are worn or at least easy to reach in an emergency.

For information on boat and water safety, call the DNR at (651) 296-6157, toll free at 1-888-646-6367, or e-mail info@dnr.state.mn.us and ask for the "Minnesota Boating Guide."

DNR Seeks Input on Walleye Regulations on ten lakes in Itasca County

The Grand Rapids Area Fisheries Office of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has scheduled two public informational meetings to gather input on walleye regulation proposals for ten lakes in Itasca County. Lakes being considered include Swan, Trout (near Coleraine), Splithand, Moose, Island (near Northome), Bowstring, Sand, Jessie, Round (near Squaw Lake), and Deer/Battle/Pickerel (near Effie).

The proposed regulation on each lake is a 17 to 26 inch protected slot with one walleye longer than 26 inches in possession, meaning all walleye between 17 and 26 inches in length must be immediately released. "This regulation is part of the new fisheries toolbox, a streamlined process for proposing experimental or special regulations," said Chris Kavanaugh, Area Fisheries Supervisor. "A specific goal has been established for each lake which includes improving angler catch rates and contribution of naturally reproduced fish through catch and immediate release of medium and large walleye."

The public comment period began in May and will end ten days after the meeting. "This is not a done deal," said Kavanaugh, "The comment period and the meetings are extremely important to us so that we can make the best decision on implementing the regulation on any of the lakes." The comments will be reviewed and a decision on implementation will be made by early December. If implemented, the regulations would become effective at the beginning of the 2005 fishing season.

The first meeting will be held on Monday, September 20, 2004, beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Training Room at the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center (MIFC) located at 402 11th Street SE, Grand Rapids. The second meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 21, 2004, beginning at 7:00 p.m. at the Squaw Lake Community Center located on Highway 46 in Squaw Lake. An additional Open House meeting will be held on September 27, 2004, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the DNR Headquarters, 500 Lafayette Blvd, St. Paul. Comments on the lakes in Itasca County may be directed to Chris Kavanaugh, DNR Area Fisheries, 1201 E Highway 2, Grand Rapids, MN 55744 or e-mail chris.kavanaugh@dnr.state.mn.us. Written comments will be accepted until October 4, 2004.