2000 Minnesota Statutes

     103G.615 Permits to harvest or destroy aquatic plants. 

    Subdivision 1.    Authorization.  (a) The commissioner 
 may issue permits, with or without a fee, to: 

    (1) gather or harvest aquatic plants, or plant parts, other 
 than wild rice from public waters; 

    (2) transplant aquatic plants into public waters; 

    (3) destroy harmful or undesirable aquatic vegetation or 
 organisms in public waters under prescribed conditions to 
 protect the waters, desirable species of fish, vegetation, other 
 forms of aquatic life, and the public.  

    (b) Application for a permit must be accompanied by a 
 permit fee, if required.  

    Subd. 2.    Fees.  (a) The commissioner shall establish 
 a fee schedule for permits to harvest aquatic plants other than 
 wild rice, by order, after holding a public hearing.  The fees 
 may not exceed $200 per permit based upon the cost of receiving, 
 processing, analyzing, and issuing the permit, and additional 
 costs incurred after the application to inspect and monitor the 
 activities authorized by the permit. 

    (b) The fee for a permit for chemical treatment of rooted 
 aquatic vegetation may not exceed $20 for each contiguous parcel 
 of shoreline owned by an owner.  This fee may not be charged for 
 permits issued in connection with lakewide Eurasian water 
 milfoil control programs. 

    (c) A fee may not be charged to the state or a federal 
 governmental agency applying for a permit. 

    (d) The money received for the permits under this 
 subdivision shall be deposited in the treasury and credited to 
 the game and fish fund.  

    Subd. 3.    Permit standards.  The commissioner shall, 
 by rule, prescribe standards to issue and deny permits under 
 this section.  The standards must ensure that aquatic plant 
 control is consistent with shoreland conservation ordinances, 
 lake management plans and programs, and wild and scenic river 
 plans.  

    HIST: 1990 c 391 art 7 s 62; 1992 c 462 s 18; 1993 c 235 s 4