Dear neighbors,
My week at the Capitol is off to a great start! The House passed one of my bills last night. The rest of my week is full of committee hearings, bill presentations, meetings with community members, and other work.
Preventing Trespassing and Property Damage Along Snowmobile Trails
Many of Minnesota’s snowmobile trails are located on private land. Landowners across the state agree to let local snowmobile clubs use their property during the winter months and voluntarily provide access to members of the public. Snowmobilers who go off the trail may damage private property and discourage people from volunteering their land. This could reduce the number of snowmobile trails and have a negative impact on tourism and the local economy.
I authored a bill to help preserve snowmobile trails by preventing trespassing. HF 2819 increases civil penalties for trespassing while driving a snowmobile or off-highway vehicle. It has support from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the Minnesota United Snowmobilers Association, and the Minnesota ATV Association. The House passed this bill yesterday with a vote of 122-10.
Protecting Minnesota’s Wild Deer
The Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee, which I chair, discussed bills that would help protect wild deer from chronic wasting disease today. I shared one of my bills, HF 3273, that bars the Board of Animal Health from approving new registrations for the possession of farmed white-tailed deer. The bill also makes owners of deer farms, which are common sources of chronic wasting disease, responsible for disposing of any deer that test positive for CWD after death and for any costs associated with the escape of an animal with CWD. If you’d like to learn more about this bill, you can find a video of the entire hearing here.
Upcoming Events and Activities
Dakota County is hosting a Fix-It Clinic in South St. Paul this weekend. You can stop by the Central Square Community Center from noon to 3 p.m. this Saturday, March 19 to get your household items fixed for free and learn valuable repair skills that will help save money and keep items out of landfills.
I also want to remind you that Minnesota fishing, hunting, and trapping licenses for 2021 expired on February 28. You can purchase licenses for 2022 on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ website, call 1-888-665-4236, or visit an approved vendor in-person.
If you have questions about these bills or other legislation I’m working on, please feel free to reach out. You can contact me by email at rep.rick.hansen@gmail.com or call (651) 296-6828.
Sincerely,
Rick Hansen
State Representative