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Keep Vegetation off your Boat and Trailer...

Clean Boats, Clean Waters: What we have learned at the boat landings

In 2005, volunteer watercraft inspectors inspected over 9,000 boats, and contacted almost 20,000 people in the process. Upon close inspection volunteers often uncovered hidden plants on boat trailers and other recreational equipment. Data from this year's inspections revealed the following:

• 6% of all inspected boats had vegetation attached when they approached the landing.

• 23% of all inspected boats had vegetation attached as the boat pulled away from the landing.

• 16% of boaters were not informed of Wisconsin's illegal to launch law (Section 30.715 Stat. 2001 WI Act 16), which prohibits launching a trailer if aquatic plants or zebra mussels are attached.

• 75% of boaters understand the role they play in moving aquatic plants and animals from one water body to another.

The 23% of boats pulling away from landings with vegetation attached amounts to over 143,000 boats that could potentially transport and infect another water body with Eurasian water milfoil, zebra mussels, or other invasive species!

Volunteers reporting this information are in support of amending the current law to also make it illegal to transport attached vegetation. The data collected at the boat landings supports this change. If you too support this change, contact your legislative representatives and encourage them to amend Wisconsin's current law to make it illegal to both launch and transport.

PELICAN LAKE — A conservation warden has issued the state's first citation for weeds found on a boat trailer, raising speculation that enforcement efforts might replace an education-only policy after three years of public awareness.

The ice was broken on the Department of Natural Resources' (DNR) no-ticket policy when warden Jim Jung of Rhinelander cited early last month a Pelican Lake property owner after he refused to remove weeds pointed out by a volunteer boat landing inspector.

The mandatory weed removal prior to launching a boat was designed to protect state lakes from aquatic invasive species (AIS), such as Eurasian water milfoil and curlyleaf pondweed.

Barb Krause, who heads up the launch-monitoring program for the lake association, said the man had weeds hanging from a trailer carrying a personal watercraft and refused to remove them when asked.

“He told the volunteer 'I don't care,' ” said Krause. “So the volunteer, a former DNR employee, called Jung and got law enforcement involved.”

The property owner, who was not named, could be assessed a forfeiture up to $250 under a state law that many lakefront property owners want strengthened. The incident occurred at the Highway Q landing on the west side of the lake.

“If people don't want to be educated and knowingly violate the law, then it's time to write them tickets,” said Krause. “We can't stick our heads in the sand and pretend this will go away. We've got to keep the exotic species out or it will have far-reaching effects on water quality, taxes, recreation and property values.”

Jung said under some circumstances, it might be that wardens will write more tickets. He said that it is more likely to occur if there is evidence that the boat and trailer owner has knowledge of the law, but violates it anyway.

“But wardens have limited time and we aren't going to be sitting at boat landings watching for weeds,” said Jung.

He also noted that the DNR is still in an education frame of mind, and that people who clearly aren't aware of the law won't be cited.

The warden said he agrees with those who want the law strengthened, because at this time, transporting weeds on a boat trailer does not constitute a violation.

“A person has to be attempting to launch a boat with weeds on the boat or trailer in order to violate the statute,” said Jung. “The requirements could be stronger.”

The Vilas County Lakes Association (VCLA) proposed to legislators last month that legislation be introduced to make it illegal to transport watercraft, trailers or anything else with aquatic plants or other AIS attached on public roads and highways.

“Further be it resolved that fines for not obeying the law shall be double from $250 to $500 with all sworn law enforcement officers being charged with enforcing this legislation on all roads, highways and boat launch sites in the state,” the VCLA stated.

The association claims the forfeitures are “inordinately low,” to the point that they are not being taken seriously by many boat owners.

Jung said he's not convinced the forfeiture has to be any higher in order for enforcement to be effective. However, he did acknowledge the environmental damage AIS can cause and the high costs lakefront property owners face when they are required to chemically treat AIS infestations.

He said DNR officials could make a pitch for higher fines based on the enormous damage and costs that must be incurred to control infestations. “Those forfeitures are set by a panel of judges, and reviewed annually. The department could take its case to them.”

The VCLA argues that AIS plants and animals have now entered about 10% of the county's lakes, displacing native weeds and threatening water-based recreation.

To complement volunteer-based monitoring programs, the VCLA says the next logical step “is for the state Legislature to toughen state laws and fines to prevent the transport of invasive plants to uninfected lakes.”

At Pelican Lake, a DNR grant is helping waterfront property owners police the landings by providing some revenue for inspectors, including two paid positions. So far, officials haven't confirmed any infestations of AIS in Pelican, though they did find a floating fragment of Eurasian water milfoil following a recent muskie fishing tournament.

Krause said her worry is that the towns harboring Pelican Lake, Enterprise and Schoepke, won't support going after more grants and funding in the years ahead to keep up the prevention effort.

“I'm hearing some town supervisors say 'What's the use, we'll get it anyway.' I can't believe that give-up attitude. I don't think some of them really understand what is at stake here,” she said. “People can be so ignorant. All someone in Elcho would have to do is spend $2 at the car wash and hose down their boat and trailer.”

Meanwhile, the town of Cloverland Lakes Committee has written to Gov. Jim Doyle and 21 legislators, demanding answers as to why they didn't attend or even respond to an invitation to see AIS problems firsthand.

State government officials had been invited to Legislative Days Aug. 26 at Big Sand Lake in northern Vilas, where they were going to witness the effect of Eurasian water milfoil and hear from lakefront property owners.

“It was disconcerting, to say the least, when 21 legislators were invited and not even one attended to hear what our concerns are and see firsthand what invasive species can do to a lake,” the committee wrote