St. Paul, MN– State Representative Andrew Myers, R-Tonka Bay, introduced legislation late last week to protect Minnesota lakes from waste and garbage left behind after the ice fishing season. House File 2745 has several bipartisan co-authors and would prohibit storing or depositing waste and garbage on the ice of any of Minnesota’s state waters.
“Lake Minnetonka is the crown jewel of Our Backyard, and we have a responsibility to protect and preserve it for future generations,” said Myers. “This bill is about honoring that commitment not only for Lake Minnetonka, but for every body of water in Minnesota. As ice fishing becomes more and more popular, we have seen a dramatic increase in the amount of garbage, waste, and sewage left behind by anglers on our frozen lakes. Clearly spelling out in state law that this is prohibited and establishing penalties for this behavior will help keep our waters clean now and into the future.”
House File 2745 would require anglers to keep all garbage and sewage inside the icehouse, or in a container that is attached to the outside of the icehouse. Violation would result in a petty misdemeanor and fine.
An all too common example of waste left behind when an icehouse is removed for the season
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