We're trying to catch up on a busy week of hearings in the Minnesota legislature. Some of the most moving testimony came in the Minnesota House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee when it heard testimony on Maplewood DFLer Peter Fischer's HF157, which would prohibit lead tackle sale, manufacture, and use.
Greg Stanley covered the hearing and background in-depth in As trumpeter swans die, Minnesota lawmakers consider banning lead jigs and fishing tackle. Buried at the end, there's this:
The ban proposal comes as a number of trumpeter swans have been found dead of lead poisoning on Sucker Lake in Vadnais Heights for the third straight year. The area's water management organization has found more than 20 swans dead of suspected poisoning since 2019.
Of those birds, 10 bodies were in good enough condition to be sent to the University of Minnesota for testing. It was found that all 10 had died of lead poisoning, said Dawn Tanner, program development coordinator for the Vadnais Lake Area Water Management Organization.
Girl Scout Troop 56087 first raised the issue of Sucker Lake's dying swans to Fischer. Girl Scout Addy Shimek, who has fished on the lake, told lawmakers this week that most anglers don't think of the damage that lead causes to wildlife or aren't aware of it.
"Finding out I may have been responsible for some of this damage, or further caused it, really upset me," she said.
The YouTube of the hearing, embedded below, opens with Fischer's explanation of the bill to the committee, followed by Girl Scout Addy, accompanied her mother. Tracy Shimek. Watch it here:
Stanley reported:
The House committee did not vote on the ban but agreed to bring it back for consideration after clarifying potential penalties for violators as well as technical language, such as exactly what type of hooks, jigs or weights would be outlawed.
There are also questions as to how a lead ban would be enforced. The small sinkers can be found in nearly every tackle box and boat in Minnesota, said Rep. Spencer Igo, R-Grand Rapids.
Lead tackle is cheaper than most alternatives, although some options such as tin can be as cheap as lead if they can be found in stores.
"My big concern is the cost," Igo said. "A half-ounce of lead costs 30 cents, versus $2.60 for tungsten. That's a big deal for guides and outfitters and people who can't afford it."
It's worth reading the comments on the article at the Strib; readers are not patient with the delay. Let's hope the committee members and staff come up with language that assures success.
Early in February, the Strib's Shannon Prather reported in Bird deaths fuel push for Minnesota lead tackle ban:
The open water channels around Sucker Lake in northern Ramsey County make it a popular winter spot for dozens of majestic trumpeter swans and other waterfowl.
It's also a popular public drive-up fishing spot, which is proving a fatal combination as birds consume lost lead fishing tackle.
Scientists — including one who has recovered 17 dead swans near Sucker and Vadnais lakes in Vadnais Heights — are joining Minnesota lawmakers in a call to ban lead in fishing tackle to protect swans, loons, eagles and other wildlife. Though similar efforts have stalled over the years amid opposition from anglers and hunters, advocates say they're hopeful this time will be different.
"We hear a lot from residents worried about the swans. They are a charismatic species and people see them," said Dawn Tanner, a conservation biologist and program development coordinator with the Vadnais Lake Area Water Management Organization. "A legislative change is probably the push that is needed."
Two Maplewood DFLers, Sen. Charles Wiger and Rep. Peter Fischer, introduced bills in January to ban the sale and use of lead fishing jigs and sinkers.
Wiger said he's feeling hopeful after Minnesota became the first state in the nation last year to prohibit most industrial uses of trichloroethylene (TCE), which can increase the risk of cancer and other serious health issues.
An overwhelming majority of lawmakers supported that ban after White Bear Township-based Water Gremlin agreed to pay $7 million in fines and fees after the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) determined the plant had released an excess amount of TCE into the air.
Wiger said his constituents are now pushing for more environmental justice measures.
"My district is very concerned about the environmental impact of toxic chemicals," said Wiger, whose neighboring district was impacted by nearby Water Gremlin. "We need to listen to the next generation."
Others, including the nonprofit Friends of Minnesota Scientific and Natural Areas, are also aiming to ban lead in hunting ammunition. Board Chairman Tom Casey said people would be shocked to know the amount of lead left in wilderness areas that belong to the public.
While legislators push for policy changes, the MPCA has launched a "Get The Lead Out" campaign that asks Minnesotans to voluntarily give up lead fishing tackle.
As part of the three-year campaign, they are passing out lead-free fishing tackle in schools, as prizes at fishing tournaments and at a handful of government waste collection sites.
Unfortunately, that voluntary approach doesn't seem adequate. Let's hope the Minnesota Legislature can truly get the lead out this session.
Photo: Swans in a west central Minnesota marshland. Photo by Cathie Fredrickson via Birds and Butterflies of West Central MN.
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