1997 Minnesota Statutes

     97A.045 Commissioner, general powers and duties. 

    Subdivision 1.    Duties; generally.  The commissioner 
 shall do all things the commissioner determines are necessary to 
 preserve, protect, and propagate desirable species of wild 
 animals.  The commissioner shall make special provisions for the 
 management of fish and wildlife to ensure recreational 
 opportunities for anglers and hunters.  The commissioner shall 
 acquire wild animals for breeding or stocking and may dispose of 
 or destroy undesirable or predatory wild animals.  

    Subd. 2.    Power to protect wild animals.  (a) The 
 commissioner may protect a species of wild animal in addition to 
 the protection provided by the game and fish laws, by further 
 limiting or closing seasons or areas of the state, or by 
 reducing limits in areas of the state, if the commissioner 
 determines the action is necessary to prevent unnecessary 
 depletion or extinction, or to promote the propagation and 
 reproduction of the animal.  

    (b) The commissioner may protect a species of wild animal 
 in the state by emergency rule adopted under section 84.027, 
 subdivision 13, by prohibiting or allowing taking of the animal 
 whether or not the animal is protected under the game and fish 
 laws.  The commissioner must make findings of the necessity of a 
 rule authorized under this paragraph and may authorize taking by 
 special permit with or without fee under conditions prescribed 
 in the rule by the commissioner.  

    (c) The commissioner may protect a species of wild animal 
 in the state by emergency rule adopted under section 84.027, 
 subdivision 13, by allowing importation, transportation, or 
 possession of the wild animal or prohibiting these activities 
 except by special permit with or without fee under conditions 
 prescribed in the rule by the commissioner.  

    Subd. 3.    Power to modify dates of seasons.  If the 
 statutory opening date of a season for taking protected wild 
 animals, except a season prescribed under federal regulations, 
 is not on a Saturday, the commissioner may designate the nearest 
 Saturday to the statutory date as the opening day of the 
 season.  If the statutory closing date falls on a Saturday, the 
 commissioner may extend it through the following day.  

    Subd. 4.    Boundary waters.  The commissioner may 
 regulate the taking, possession, and transportation of wild 
 animals from state and international boundary waters.  The rules 
 may include: 

    (1) special seasons for taking fish; and 

    (2) restrictions on the limits of fish that may be taken, 
 possessed, or transported from international boundary waters by 
 a person possessing both a Minnesota angling license and an 
 angling license from an adjacent Canadian province.  

    Subd. 5.    Power to prescribe the form of permits and 
 licenses.  The commissioner may prescribe the form of permits, 
 licenses, and tags issued under the game and fish laws.  

    Subd. 6.    Duty to disseminate information.  The 
 commissioner shall collect, compile, publish, and disseminate 
 statistics, bulletins, and information related to conservation.  

    Subd. 7.    Duty to encourage stamp design and purchases. 
  (a) The commissioner shall encourage the purchase of: 

    (1) Minnesota migratory waterfowl stamps by nonhunters 
 interested in migratory waterfowl preservation and habitat 
 development; 

    (2) pheasant stamps by persons interested in pheasant 
 habitat improvement; 

    (3) trout and salmon stamps by persons interested in trout 
 and salmon stream and lake improvement; and 

    (4) turkey stamps by persons interested in wild turkey 
 management and habitat improvement.  

    (b) The commissioner shall make rules governing contests 
 for selecting a design for each stamp. 

    Subd. 8.    Hunting and fishing license reciprocity with 
 Wisconsin.  The commissioner may enter into an agreement with 
 game and fish licensing authorities in the state of Wisconsin 
 under which Wisconsin residents owning real property in 
 Minnesota are allowed to purchase annual nonresident game and 
 fish licenses at fees required of Minnesota residents, provided 
 Minnesota residents owning real property in Wisconsin are 
 allowed to purchase identical nonresident licenses in Wisconsin 
 upon payment of the Wisconsin resident license fee.  The 
 commissioners of natural resources in Minnesota and Wisconsin 
 must agree on joint standards for defining real property 
 ownership.  The commissioner shall present the joint standards 
 to the senate and house committees having jurisdiction over 
 environment and natural resources matters.  

    Subd. 9.    Notice of rulemaking.  In addition to notice 
 requirements under chapter 14, the commissioner shall attempt to 
 notify persons or groups of persons affected by rules adopted 
 under the game and fish laws by public announcements, press 
 releases, and other appropriate means as determined by the 
 commissioner. 

    Subd. 10.    Reciprocal agreements on violations.  The 
 commissioner, with the approval of the attorney general, may 
 enter into reciprocal agreements with game and fish authorities 
 in other states and the United States government to provide for: 

    (1) revocation of the appropriate Minnesota game and fish 
 licenses of Minnesota residents for violations of game and fish 
 laws committed in signatory jurisdictions which result in 
 license revocation in that jurisdiction; 

    (2) reporting convictions and license revocations of 
 residents of signatory states for violations of game and fish 
 laws of Minnesota to game and fish authorities in the 
 nonresident's state of residence; and 

    (3) release upon signature without posting of bail for 
 residents of signatory states accused of game and fish law 
 violations in this state, providing for recovery, in the 
 resident jurisdiction, of fines levied if the citation is not 
 answered in this state. 

    As used in this subdivision, "conviction" includes a plea 
 of guilty or a forfeiture of bail. 

    HIST: 1985 c 248 s 70; 1986 c 386 art 1 s 8; 1989 c 19 s 1; 
 1991 c 259 s 11; 1993 c 231 s 5,6; 1993 c 269 s 6; 1995 c 233 
 art 2 s 56; 1Sp1995 c 1 s 18; 1997 c 226 s 15