Outdoors Notebook: Game and Fish reminds North Dakota boaters of accident-reporting requirements

Jul. 6—BISMARCK — Regardless of how safe and cautious boaters are on the water, accidents happen. If a boating accident involves injury, death or disappearance of a person, an accident report must be completed and sent to the North Dakota Game and Fish Department within 48 hours of the occurrence, the department said in a reminder.

If property damage exceeds $2,000, but no deaths or injuries occur, a boat operator has five days to file a report.

These reporting requirements are mandatory whether there is one or more boats involved.

A boat accident form is available on the Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov , at any Game and Fish office or by contacting a local game warden. — staff report

ST. PAUL — The Fourth of July holiday brings busier lake accesses and people hurrying to family gatherings and celebrations. It is important for all lake and river users to take a few minutes to Clean, Drain, Dispose — every time — to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species, the Department of Natural Resources said.

"Nearly all boaters and anglers understand and follow Minnesota's Clean, Drain, Dispose laws," Kelly Pennington, DNR invasive species unit supervisor, said in a statement. "People can prevent the spread of invasive species like zebra mussels, starry stonewort and Eurasian watermilfoil by always cleaning and draining watercraft and equipment and disposing of unwanted bait in the trash."

Conservation officers and DNR-trained watercraft inspectors are at many public accesses to help ensure boaters and anglers are making sure their boats and equipment are "clean in, clean out."

Some of Minnesota's waterways — rivers, in particular — have extremely high water as a result of recent rainfall. The DNR recommends that boaters, paddlers and others should stay off flooding rivers until the water recedes.

Whether or not a lake has any invasive species, Minnesota law requires people to:

* Clean watercraft, trailers and gear to remove aquatic plants and prohibited invasive species.

* Drain all water and leave drain plugs out during transport.

* Dispose of unwanted bait in the trash.

* Never release bait, plants or aquarium pets into Minnesota waters.

* Dry docks, lifts and rafts for 21 days before moving them from one water body to another.

The DNR recommends these additional steps to reduce the risk of spreading aquatic invasive species:

* Decontaminate watercraft, trailers and gear — find free stations on the

courtesy decontamination webpage of the DNR website

mndnr.gov/decon

* Spray watercraft, trailers and gear with high-pressure water or rinse with very hot water (120 degrees for at least two minutes or 140 degrees for at least 10 seconds).

* Dry watercraft, trailers and gear for at least five days before using in another water body. — staff report

ST. PAUL — The Minnesota DNR has added Aitkin County to a deer feeding and attractant ban to reduce the risk of chronic wasting disease spread, following CWD detection in two additional wild deer near Grand Rapids in fall 2023.

"The DNR uses feeding and attractant bans as a tool to reduce unnatural aggregations of deer and reduce the risk of exposure to CWD," Todd Froberg, big game program coordinator, said in a statement. "We use this tool where it provides the greatest benefit to the health of Minnesota's white-tailed deer."

Feeding deer and using deer attractants is now banned in 24 Minnesota counties where disease surveillance efforts indicate a greater risk of CWD spread.

The feeding and attractant ban is now in effect in Aitkin, Beltrami, Carver, Cass, Crow Wing, Dakota, Dodge, Fillmore, Goodhue, Hennepin, Houston, Hubbard, Itasca, Le Sueur, Mower, Norman, Olmsted, Polk, Rice, Scott, Sibley, Wabasha, Washington and Winona counties. A map of counties included in the feeding and attractant ban is available on the

Minnesota DNR website

mndnr.gov/cwd/feedban.html

The DNR does not encourage the public to feed deer. People interested in helping deer should focus efforts on improving habitat to provide long-term food resources and shelter.

DNR website

mndnr.gov/privatelandhabitat

. — staff report