Volunteers can apply to join one of five citizen-agency work groups that will discuss how the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources manages fish. There will be individual work groups for bass, catfish, panfish and walleye, and one that will focus on both northern pike and muskellunge.
“Fisheries work groups help improve discussion between citizens and the DNR. Group members can talk about angler points of view and fisheries issues in detail, and these are valuable discussions,” said Don Pereira, DNR fisheries chief. “We want to have groups with a variety of viewpoints represented and members will work together to discuss topics including recreation, water quality, fish habitat and effects on local economies.”
Volunteers can apply to one of the five groups until Sunday, Nov. 6. Each group of about 15 people will include volunteers and DNR staff who meet two or three times per year to discuss new research, population, harvest trends and fisheries management. Meetings average three to four hours, not including travel time.
Participants will be selected by the DNR and can serve a term of either two or three years. The groups are advisory and do not make decisions on policy or fish management.
For more information or an application form, visit www.mndnr.gov/fishgroups or call (651) 259-5182.
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