Coalition pushes legislation targeting waste left on Minnesota's frozen lakes

In the southern two-thirds of Minnesota fish houses must be off frozen waters by March 3. St. Patrick’s Day is the deadline in rest of the state.

And don’t forget to take your garbage and waste. That friendly reminder is the focus of HF1120.

Sponsored by Rep. Andrew Myers (R-Tonka Bay), it would require the Department of Natural Resources — in consultation with the Pollution Control Agency and Board of Water and Soil Resources — to develop and administer a statewide Keep it Clean program to prevent water pollution from garbage and human waste left on the ice of state waters during winter activities.

Grants would be available for local units of government and non-governmental organizations to implement initiatives to support the program.

Keep it Clean Coalition member Robyn Dwight testifies before the House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee Feb. 25 in support of a bill sponsored by Rep. Andrew Myers, right, to establish a statewide Keep it Clean program. (Photo by Andrew VonBank)

A 2023 law prohibits depositing garbage and waste, including human waste, directly on or under the ice of state waters, with a potential $100 civil penalty assessed for each violation. But issues remain.

The House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee on Tuesday laid over the bipartisan bill — three of its eight co-sponsors are DFLers — for future consideration. The bill does not specify a desired funding request, something the committee will investigate when putting together its budget.

The grassroots Keep it Clean Coalition began on Lake of the Woods and their campaign to increase awareness has expanded to more than 50 areas and more than 1,200 lakes.

“We believe that rather than go into hibernation [and] leaving the management of human leftovers and cleanup efforts to local communities, state agencies must take the lead in educating the public, providing resources, and implementing the same regulations for activities on ice as they do for public lands and waters during ice-out activities,” said Robyn Dwight, a coalition member.

“You would never leave your bags of trash or camp toilet leftovers to pollute campsites, parks or trails. You would never accept human or pet excrement on your picnic grounds.”

Assistant DNR Commissioner Bob Meier was ice fishing on Leech Lake last weekend.

“I do see the impact,” he said. “And I see the benefits of this bill and the work that these folks have been doing and changing the perception of behavior out there.”