Dear Tim (Cc Mark Liedel, Mitch Brinks, County Board)

June 9, 2014

Dear Tim,

I am writing to you on behalf of the Crow Wing County Lakes and Rivers Alliance (LARA) and the 30-plus lake associations we represent. Like many people who enjoy recreating in our public waters, we are happy about the Minnesota Legislature’s recent decision to support efforts to limit the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) by allocating approximately $10 million annually to go directly to counties for local efforts. Based on the large number of public accesses in our county, that would mean approximately $250,000 for Crow Wing County this first year and about $450,000 next year and beyond. That money, if spent wisely, could accomplish great things.

If you and I have learned anything through the Resilient Region process, it’s that having civil conversations, gathering and valuing local ideas, forming connections, and building relationships can go a long way towards making a good project a better one. Crow Wing County lake associations have great interest in how these new AIS dollars will be spent. To no one’s surprise, we also have a great many opinions. You can’t blame us since lake associations in Crow Wing County spent about $805,000 of their own money from 2010 to 2012 to prevent the introduction of AIS and limit its spread in public waters by treating where it was already present. This private money provides public benefit and helps protect the natural resources base upon which our county’s tax base is predicated.

We’ve heard opinions expressed that perhaps this new influx of money should go to the Mississippi Headwaters Board to coordinate efforts in the 8-county Mississippi Headwaters Region. That’s one idea, but we don’t think it’s the best idea for the following reasons: 1) while the Headwaters Board is doing some fine work these days, their jurisdiction as a joint powers board does not extend beyond the Mississippi River corridor; 2) the Headwaters Board would be just one more layer of government, and an unnecessary one; and 3) this money is intended for local control to meet local needs, so what may be appropriate for Hubbard County AIS prevention, may not be appropriate for Crow Wing County.

LARA would like to suggest that Crow Wing County use this opportunity to meet with us and representatives of lake associations from across the county to have a meaningful conversation about how to spend the AIS dollars that are coming to Crow Wing County. This is also an opportunity for Crow Wing County to show the rest of Minnesota how to do it right.

If the county needs any help in putting together a forum on this issue, LARA would be happy to assist in any way we can. We look forward to hearing back from you.

Sincerely,

Phil Hunsicker

Co-president of the Crow Wing County Lakes and Rivers Alliance (LARA)

Cc: Mark Liedl, Mitch Brinks, Chris Pence, Paul Koering, Paul Thiede, Rachel Nystrom, Rosemary Franzen, Doug Houge