Weekly conservation report

[Lee Borgersen]

   
  Weekly Conservation Officer's report

District 8 - Duluth area
Last updated: 2017-06-26

CO Nick Prachar (Brookston) spent time at Camp Ripley for EVOC Training. Time was also spent working AIS enforcement, ATV enforcement, and angling activity

 CO Kipp Duncan (Duluth East) continued working fishing and boating enforcement around the Duluth area. Some time was also spent working at public accesses talking with boaters about AIS laws and looking for compliance when boaters arrived at the accesses and also when they left. ATV enforcement was also worked during the week. CO Duncan received and returned several calls throughout the week. A waters complaint on an area lake was also investigated, as well as time spent at Camp Ripley for EVOC training.

 CO Scott Staples (Carlton) attended emergency vehicle operation training at Camp Ripley. Time was spent training and getting ready for upcoming K9 testing. Bear complaints were received and advice was given out on how to keep them away. Off highway vehicle patrols were conducted in the Cloquet area where compliance with the laws were found to be good


District 10 - Mille Lacs area
Last updated: 2017-06-26

CO Gregory Verkuilen (Garrison) worked lake activity including a lot of non-resident vacationers. He also attended training, helped on an interview panel for CO applicants, and assisted the county with the search for a burglary suspect.

 CO Chris Tetrault (Isle) assisted at Camp Ripley with interviews for new CO candidates. The officer assisted with another investigation in the area. A call was responded to at Father Hennepin State Park where a person was charged with disorderly conduct.

 CO Scott Fitzgerald (Malmo) reports checking fishermen, boaters, and ATV traffic throughout the week and weekend. Many outdoor law related questions were fielded. Officer Fitzgerald attended division training at Camp Ripley and assistance was given to another agency. AIS related activity was monitored throughout the Malmo station also. Enforcement action for the week included various ATV and boating violations.

 CO Dustie Speldrich (Willow River) worked ORV enforcement in area state forests. She also followed up on an AIS investigation, worked boat and water safety, and followed up on PWC complaints. OHM and ATV activity was worked and questions were answered regarding OHM safety and registration.

 CO Dan Starr (Onamia) attended driving training and boating activity was worked, with navigational lighting violations found. Assistance was given to the Mille Lacs Sheriff?s Office on a kidnapping case and a burglary in progress case. Injured fawns were also taken care of.

 CO Bret Grundmeier (Hinckley) spent time patrolling ATV complaint areas and checking boating and angling activity on lakes. One fisherman was found trying to catch crappies while trolling around the lake with multiple lines in the water. After watching and documenting the illegal fishing for a few minutes, Officer Grundmeier approached the boat to make contact. When the angler finally realized he was being watched and checked by a CO, he quickly dropped to the bottom of the boat in an attempt to hide himself while reeling up the extra lines. The furtive actions only made things worse as the boat was not big enough or deep enough to hide what he was doing.


District 9 - Brainerd area
Last updated: 2017-06-26

CO Patrick McGowan (Pine River) assisted at Camp Ripley with training officers in the emergency vehicle operations course. CO McGowan also patrolled for angling and ATV activity, answered several questions, and looked into TIP calls.

 CO Amber Ladd (McGregor) continued to work area lakes for summer time anglers and boaters. ATV traffic remained high in the area as well. CO Ladd also attended training at Camp Ripley.

 CO Bob Mlynar (Aitkin) worked angling, boating, AIS, and ATV activity. Time was also spent on nuisance bear, altering the cross section of public waters, and an angling TIP call. The officer attended the funeral of retired officer Dale Ebel.

 CO Karl Hadrits (Crosby) reports helping the Cuyuna Iron Range Riders ATV club present their youth ATV safety class, patrol of area lakes, the Crow Wing State Forest, the Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area, and tending to various wildlife issues. Enforcement contacts were made for miscellaneous violations of state recreational area rules.

 CO Eric Sullivan (Pequot Lakes) assisted interviewing candidates for the 2018 Conservation Officer academy. CO Sullivan received a complaint of an unusual amount of vegetation floating in Pine Mountain Lake. The source was unfounded and the investigation is ongoing. Nuisance bear complaints also continued.

 CO Sam Hunter (Park Rapids) checked ATV?s, fishermen, and boaters. Officer Hunter received a complaint of a baby otter whose mother had been killed by a car. The otter will go to a rehab facility.

 CO Randy Posner (Brainerd) reports that he worked on fishing enforcement this past week. The sunfish, bass, and northern have been the most active. Boating enforcement and safety occupied some enforcement time. Enforcement action was taken for no lights after sunset, PWCs operate within 150? of shore, and after hour operation. He also worked on aquatic invasive species prevention on Gull Lake. A complaint of ATVs in the ditch causing damage and illegal youth operation also received some time. A bear damaging bee hives in the Pequot Lakes area was also received.


District 13 - West Metro area
Last updated: 2017-06-26

CO Chelsie Leuthardt (Prior Lake) spent time at Camp Ripley providing mandatory EVOC training to a group of conservation officers. She also worked on the St. Croix River ahead of the opening of the new Hwy 36 Bridge. CO Leuthardt reports a steady week of angling and boating activity on various metro lakes.

 CO Alexander Birdsall (Waconia) focused heavily on shore fishing along the Minnesota River. Assistance was given to Carver County Sheriff?s Office on a car versus deer crash. Violations encountered include angle without a license, angling after revocation, and failure to comply with restoration order.

 CO Leah Weyandt (Mound) spent most of the week following up on zebra mussel violations on several area lakes. A ?mudding? in a wetland complaint was closed as well as a sale of venison case. An injured eagle was kept overnight to be brought to the Raptor Center the next morning.

 CO Thephong Le (ELCOP) assisted with the interviewing process at Camp Ripley for Academy 18. He worked the St. Croix Bridge Project with CO Joel Heyn and CO Chelsie Leuthardt. He also spent time working boating activity and violations found included fail to display valid boat registration and riding on the transom. He assisted Fort Snelling State Park staff on a case of an ATV that was found operating illegally in the state park.

 CO Brent Grewe (Minnetonka) spent the week patrolling fishermen and conducting zebra mussel checks with his K9 partner Shelby. CO Grewe attended the annual Cops and Kids fishing event in Brooklyn Park and did a K9 demo for a boat safety class. Violations this week included fill in public waters.

 CO Vang Lee (ELCOP) worked boating and fishing activities on the metro area lakes. He investigated a complaint of the possibility of an abandoned boat on the Mississippi River in north Minneapolis. Officer Lee was able to locate the owner and had the owner take care of the boat. He also took calls on nuisance animal complaints and answering questions to the Asian community on youth firearm safety classes.

 CO Tim Maass (Osseo) checked anglers and boaters on area lakes. Time was also spent doing follow up on AIS violations. Officer Maass also attended a kids fishing clinic. Enforcement action was taken on AIS violations and lifejacket violations.